Christie's Scribbles and Stitches

12 x 12 in 2012

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been absent for a little while. I have been spending time with my family. I signed up for 12 x 12 in 2012 and am excited to start blogging again. I have almost completed my January draft! I am learning so much from all the participants already. I will post more once I have finished my draft. Stay tuned...

Scattered

2011-10-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone! I posted an I-fri illo on my Glog! I have been posting there since we are doing a month of sketches!

Check it out!

Scribbletastic

Scribbletastic Glog - I Fri

2011-10-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! I posted my I-Fri on the new Glog my friends and I started. I hope you will check it out!

Scribbletastic

Thank you!!!!

Introducing Our Glog - Scribbletastic

2011-09-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

My friends, Erika, Christy and I have started a Glog. To kick it off we will be doing 31 sketches w/ costumes being the theme for the month of October. I am super excited to be blogging with these talented gals! Check it out Scribbletastic kicks off tomorrow! Happy Fall everyone!!!! :)

christiedrahnak.com

2011-09-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Wanted to let you know my website is now up and running. As promised I wanted to give you the details on what I did to get it where it is today :)

First I purchased the small package from my host, A Small Orange (they are great by the way).

I then uploaded Wordpress to my host - Here is the process for doing so: http://codex.wordpress.org/Uploading_WordPress_to_a_remote_host

I then found many great themes and plugins by searching in Wordpress and loaded the ones I wanted.

I used the NextGen Gallery for my portfolio page.

That was it. Some things took a little time to figure out but overall it was pretty easy. I would still like to make a few changes but it should work for now :) Hope you like it! :)

http://www.christiedrahnak.com/

Website

2011-08-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I am working on setting up a website with my portfolio and making business cards in time for SCBWI. I am using A Small Orange as my host. So far I am running into some snags as I am not very techy. I found a few tutorials online which have been a little helpful...but I need more info. ASO has been very helpful so far. I have another question pending a response from them. Just thought I would share what I am up to. Once I get this up and running I will be sure to share how it is done....however I think most of you are ahead of me on this one as many of you have very lovely websites :) Me = envious :) More to follow :) Hope you are having a great week! Thank you for all the wonderful comments...Manfred and I are very grateful!!!! :)

Obsession

2011-08-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Introducing my new obsession....Manfred the Giraffe!

He is the star in my upcoming children's book. I am so excited to be writing and illustrating a book. Now my only hope is that someone will want to publish me....we will come to that road in time :)

Don't want to give away too much about the book but I sure am excited to have such a great start on it. I am also excited to attend the SCBWI conference!!!

I just read two really great children's books.....Leonardo the Terrible Monster and I Ain't Gonna Paint No More. I really enjoyed these a bunch!!!!!!
Hope you are all doing well.

Perennial

2011-07-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Erika reminded me we were supposed to paint our b-day flowers. This was a great opportunity to do so. Check hers out too!

The bunnies keep eating my flowers, lol. Good thing they are so cute! :)

Midsummer Night

2011-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I did this one on hot press paper and really enjoyed it.

I also just placed an order for some aquabord and am excited to try it out as well. A friend of mine made a cute colored pencil drawing of a giraffe on the aquabord so I want to make something to go w/ it. I will post the pair when I finish my part.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/ampersand-aquabord/

Hope you have a great week!!!

Launch

2011-06-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one this week! :) Have a great weekend!

Soaked

2011-05-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Hope you are having a great week! I am looking forward to a fun 3 day weekend!

Hope life is treating you all well.

So happy to have done 2 I-fridays in a row! I hope to be able to keep this up! I have missed painting!

Hope you have a great weekend!

As always thank you for stopping by!

Safari

2011-05-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

I love to draw giraffes, so I was very excited about this I-Fri topic.

I ordered a book on Photoshop this week, I am looking forward to getting some guidance on cleaning up my images as my scanner tends to add too much shadow and texture to my images....this becomes very obvious when printing.

Hope you all are having a great week!

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

2011-05-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is warming up lots and I am hoping to get a chance to paint some more. Here are a couple of my latest creations. I made them for Mom's Day!!! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family! Hope you are all doing well!

You can find the pattern to knit the frog on Etsy in Oliver Boliver's store.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59146004/pdf-knitting-pattern-for-frog-prince?ref=sr_list_8&ga_search_query=oliverboliver&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Duet

2011-04-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am so happy to have had some time to paint again.

I am so excited that the weather is warming up! Today I saw the beginnings of some tulips in our flower bed! Yay!

Hope all is well with you! As always thank you so much for stopping by!

Sweater & Happy Valentines day

2011-02-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Here is my first true attempt at digital. I learned how to do line art in Photoshop from this great tutorial on YouTube

I also purchased Will Terry's Digital Painting in Photoshop course

Thank you so much to Will for sharing some very valuable tips!

Hope you all have a very Happy Valentine's Day and a wonderful week!

Hugs!

Reverse

2011-02-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

Introducing Geebra and Ziraffe! :) The transformation was a little shocking for both of them, but in the end they were happy to be in each others shoes for a day.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Chicken

2011-01-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

Friendship has no boundaries.

Elephant Card Now Posted in the Shop

2011-01-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

I am having a great time having a shop! I made my first sale today and it really made my day! Thank you so much again Barb! Here is my newest design. Hope you are all having a great week and thank you so much for all the words of encouragement!!! You all are the best!

New Valentine's Day Card Added to the Shop

2011-01-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

Grand Opening of My Etsy Shop!

2011-01-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Please help me welcome my new store ChristiesCanvas to the Etsy market place!

I finally opened a shop on Etsy and wanted to let you all know! I just posted my first item for sale. If you are interested please check out the shop. I will be posting some more Valentine's Day cards throughout the week!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChristiesCanvas

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

Susanna was so sweet and selected me as one of the bloggers she passed the "Stylish Blogger Award" on to. Thank you Susanna! This is a fun way to learn more about your fellow bloggers and to pay tribute to the blogs you enjoy. :) To pass it on you just post seven things about yourself and send the award on to 15 bloggers. Here it goes:

1. I believe singing and dancing can shake off any bad mood.
2. Reading calms my soul.
3. My dog has taught me so much about how to just be in the moment. Go Saddie, you are a zen master!
4. Drawing and creating crafts are one of my favorite past times.
5. I love to play guitar and sing.
6. Writing the old fashioned way - pen and paper - is just plain fun (I love handwriting, it is beautiful).
7. Last but not least I love to spend time with my family and friends.

And now the fun part! Time to pay tribute to some fellow artists whose work I love!

I am passing the Stylish Blogger Award on to:
*Check them out I know you love their art! :)

If you decide to participate make sure to pick up the Stylish Blogger Badge on the left. -Thank you Melissa for the badge info!

Erika - Flux Imagery

From Jen's Pen

Melissa Liban Illustrations

Heather - Rose Hill Designs

Amariah Raucher

Shirley Ng Benitez

Ann Pilicer

Amalou Studio

Sissy Sparrows

Caroline's Art

Tiffanny's Sketchbook

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Cally Jane Studio

Jessie

Patti's Page

Resolution

2011-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

My resolution is to accept all opportunities in 2011 with open arms! :)

I used hot press paper for the first time and love it! I received 3 blocks of it for Christmas. I really like the way the watercolor shows up when scanned and how much easier it is to draw and outline on.

Hope your year is off to a great start! :) Thank you for all your wonderful comments.

Winter

2010-12-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here is one I did a while ago and never posted. I think this one fits for the I-fri word "Winter". I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and I wish you all a prosperous and happy 2011!

They Draw and Cook

2010-11-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

Yay! The people at "They Draw and Cook" could not be nicer! They told me how to send my attachment so it would go through!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!! They rock!!!

Hope your week is going well. Are you ready for Christmas?

Afterwards

2010-11-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

A trip to the new "trendy" salon gone bad.

Afterwards they had no words to describe how they felt about their new look!

Yay! The weekend is nearly here. I am counting down the days to Thanksgiving vacation! ...15 if you didn't know! :)

Spent

2010-11-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Claire spent all day trying to get Florence the Giraffe to come down. 5 hours and 18 scoops later......

November is already here. I am having a hard time gearing up for Christmas. I usually like to be well on my way with my gift purchases by now but for some reason I haven't gotten in the spirit yet. I am hoping this weekend I will get started. :)

Hope you all have a great weekend, enjoy the extra hour if you get to fall back on Sunday! :)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Hope you all have a fun and treat filled night!

Racing

2010-10-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

One last Halloween themed if this week. All set for the trick or treaters. Hard to believe November is almost here.

If any of you make prints of your work I would love some suggestions for printer shops or types of papers your use if you print yourself.

Thank you for all your comments and encouragement!

Happy Halloween!!!

Spooky

2010-10-17T15:46:00.001-07:00

I had been working on this one for a little while so I was very excited when I found out the I-Fri word was "Spooky"!

This week is going well so far. Got a lot accomplished. We just planted our bulbs and put up our Halloween decorations, yahoo!

Hope you all are having a spooky good time!!! :)

Transportation

2010-10-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Sir Feline found out the hard way that the type of transportation you choose really does make a difference.

Burr it is so cold here today....but not for long, it will be back into the 60s or 70s tomorrow, YAY!

Hope your week is going well.

***Blogger was not allowing me to post some of the wonderful comments I received so I had to paste them in. Thank you Jack, Missy and Heather. Thank you everyone for all your kind words and for stopping by it really makes my day!

Beneath

2010-10-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

I had a great time with Illo Friday this week. I had two ideas so I went ahead with both of them. Great practice! :)

I am very excited to receive a new watercolor brush I ordered. I took advantage of a great sale on Dick Blick and got an additional 20% off of their already great prices. I will do a posting with a painting using the new brush as soon as I get it.

Hope you all have a great week!!!! :)

5 Minute Flowers

2010-10-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

I just watched a cool tutorial on YouTube that shows how to paint this.

I am going to make a set of 3 to hang up in our kitchen.

Below is the link if you want to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86YK6zriPaY

Old Fashioned

2010-09-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

Sharing an Old fashioned Soda, yum! I was having so much fun drawing and painting, I did two. :)

I am waiting for it to cool off around here so I can plant some spring bulbs; tulips and such.

I wish you all a good week.

Acrobat

2010-09-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

If you were counting these sheep you would probably not be able to fall asleep. They are a lively bunch. :)

Well fall has arrived, we got our first good rain this month....good thing too, my flowers were starting to look at little sad.

Hope you are all having a great week and thank you so much for all the great comments!!! You are keeping me inspired!

Fall Friendship

2010-09-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

I had a really fun weekend. I was able to participate in my friend's new program "Heart and Song 5280" which is designed to make local music more accessible. I am happy to report the kickoff music festival on Saturday was a big success!!! Yay!!! I painted this piece as a gift for my friend to celebrate her success.

You can find out more about the program and hear her music at www.arlenehattori.com

Proverb

2010-09-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

If: Proverb
My submission for Illustration Friday.

"Great minds think alike." ...or in this case, accessorize alike. :)

I have been drawing scarves a fair amount. I think I am ready for some cooler temperatures. The changing of the seasons is always something to look forward to.

Family Dog

2010-09-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

I just entered this illo in a contest on Sketchoholic.com

This was a fun one to do. The topic was family dog. I learned that since I have Photoshop Elements, I don't have access to the pen tool...might be time for an upgrade in the near future.

If you have time you should check out the contest and enter or vote. Fun! :)

Dessert

2010-09-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

I love dessert, so I was very excited to draw this one for I-Fri. Remember baking up lots of Christmas treats with your mom? So much fun!

Still learning digital, it really is fun. I do know I have barely even scratched the surface with what can be done, so I will just keep trying until I get the results I am looking for. :)

Immovable

2010-08-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

If: Immovable
Claire was ever so glad to have an immovable playground.

Well this is my first attempt at going digital. This was very difficult and I will need much more practice. I did have a fun time working on this though. I think a book on photoshop will help. If you have any tips or favorite effects etc I would love to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by.

Good night. :)

Saturday Afternoon Painting

2010-08-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

I am working on adding light and shadow to my paintings. I have also started using a blow dryer to speed up the drying time...I think it has made a big difference.

I am going to give this one to my mom and dad. Hope they like it. :)

Atmosphere

2010-08-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

I love the nice calm atmosphere in the evenings when I sit down to drink a cup of tea with my husband.

I have been watching some DVDs of Charles Reid working in watercolor. He really is amazing. He inspired me to loosen up and just let the colors flow together. FUN STUFF! :)

Star Gazing

2010-08-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here is my submission for Illustration Friday. I am still trying to get the hang of watercolor. If anyone has any tips or helpful resources, I sure would appreciate the help. :)

My Own Creation

2010-08-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

Still learning how to best use watercolor. I am really excited about this little guy. I made a different bird for my friend at work and a co-worker saw him and wanted one. This one is for her...I hope she likes him.

Learning to Paint in Watercolor

2010-07-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

Watercolor is by far my favorite medium but I was always too scared to try. I found a class at a local JoAnn's and my friend and I went for it. We learned how to paint a flower and a landscape.

My friend Erika picked up this project at Guiry's. The project came with paint samples all I needed was paper and a brush.

Currently I am reading through a couple books I picked up at the Library on watercolor. I will post any good tips I find.