At the beginning of the New Year, I began my search for a word. Something to focus on for my life and purpose. I was drawing a blank. This was unusual for me. Then it came to me. My focus would be on my line of chickens! This year I was going to draw 500 of them. Why 500? Why not. By the time I finish, I am sure I will find a place for them. I’m already up to 109 and having a jolly good time of it.
I’m still honing my book, The 12 Days of Christmas.
Stay tuned!
It’s been a fun week playing with bluebirds in my studio. It may be zero degrees outside but my studio is singing of SPRING!
Ahhh summer nights. I love night ball games with my grandkids. It’s easy going and fun to watch the kids try their best to win. The kids on each team come from different backgrounds with different stories. Some are sad as the kids have to deal with so many adult issues but at the game, all of that takes a backseat as they cheer each other on. it’s heartwarming to be sure.
It’s good to get out of the studio after a long day of class homework and enjoy summer. It comes with the smell of fresh mowed grass, flowers, fields ready to harvest their hay and more. I think that is why I love summer. Slowly we make our way to late summer and fall. Each season having its own activities to indulge in and also new smells. I love the transition and I savor these days before winter days are upon us.
Early mornings are my favorite. Often I bring my breakfast outside and eat with the birdies! Good morning world! Hello Summer!
“It’s time for a story Briley” said Burl as he opened his favorite book...
Whimsey Books Studio – Home to Leslie Ann Clark
(joined SCBWI in 1999)
In this day and age of violence, anger and all the seriousness of chaotic grown up STUFF, I felt the deep desire to create simple stories for children and parents to enjoy. I imagine parents cuddled up with their little ones and taking precious time out of their busy days to share stories filled with love, humor, warmth and a wee bit of adventure tossed in.
I remember only two times my parents read to me and the way it made me feel. I felt all was right with my little world. I felt loved and cared about. My own children always begged for “…one more story mommy”. When they were tiny they simply brought me an arm full of books and plopped on my lap. My grand kids did the same thing. Those are the things that make for a loving home and they show our children the value of time spent together.
If you are a publisher, I have many books ready to submit in the form of text and dummies and some color two page spreads.
Whimsey Books Studio is where I live on most days. It’s a fine little studio filled with love and light.
If you see something on my website (leslieannclark.com) that tugs at your heart , contact me at imleslie@zohomail.com
There is so much involved in designing. One must be up on the trends for color and pattern and more. I always have my eyes open to finding things I love to look at!
Here are the Pantone color trends for 2013.
http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=21005&ca=4
I had to take a close look at them. . . some of them bore me unless they are paired with an “eye-catching” color. Color is so amazing! It can make your day! It can bring a smile to your face, and warm your heart. It can also bring you down. Why else do people get depressed when they experience too many gray rainy days? All that because of color? Yes! Think of the feeling you get when you take a walk and come upon a beautiful scene. Do you ever “OOOOoooh and Aaaaaahhhh?” Do colors grab you?
Colors can calm the soul. One of my favorite movies is Miss Potter. I like her spunk, I LOVE that she talks to her cartoons, and I also love the scenes of her beautiful English countryside. The colors speak peace and tranquility.
One might want calm and peaceful and serene colors for the baby nursery. So why did I decorate my first child’s nursery in bright sunshine yellow with brown and Kelly Green accents? ha! Because I crave bold colors! All I could think of was that my baby would wake up and want to be inspired by what she saw. The room had to be warm and happy and that it was!!
As the room progressed to fit two more daughters into it, we moved to pinks and browns. I loved it, but the girls were not really drawn to it. Interesting.
In my house, you will find that colors change often. If I could, I would paint my house every year! My husband jokes about our bathroom being smaller because of the many times I have painted it! I am thinking of a new color as I type!!! I am leaning towards a beautiful blue with just the right amount of purple in it! Baby blue is okay, but I always want something with a little PUNCH in it! I like to walk into a room and hear my heart sing! La la! Wall colors can be muted but if that is the case, in my house, the paintings must sing! Oh how I love a noisy house filled with color.
So what am I to do? Follow the trends? Or start my own trends? Am I brave? These are the questions every designer must face. I always lean towards being a renegade trend setter! ha!
A Hankie A Day!
September brings cooler days…. but it also brings “Quilt A Fair” to the Boulder County Fairgrounds. I love to attend each year. I go every year for both inspiration for my job, and… for … HANKIES!!
I just love those brightly colored works of art. They seem to tell me a story. No, not about the noses they have wiped! haha! but about the designers who came up with the idea for each hankie. I thought I would share with you my newest in my collection!
I have a funny story about one of my hankies. I went on a walk one day and somehow my hankie fell out of my pocket. I was so sad to lose one of my favorites. Just a couple of days later I FOUND it on my walk! Funny how a simple hankie can bring a smile. I know… I’m weird that way. haha!
Summer days bring flip-flops, sandals and bare feet. What fun to get out the bright red nail polish too! Color color color!
But, alas, as the summer days are waning, I am trading my colored toes for my warm fuzzy socks. I can almost hear them in my drawer asking when they can come out to stay!
The wood stove is beckoning me too. The nights are cool… our covers come up to our chins.
“Where are my scarves? Its cold outside!”
Oh the beauty and fun of Colorado! Four definite seasons and I love them all. …. BUT, my favorite is sock season!
But then you knew that didn’t you? I was thinking about starting a sock chain letter. …..
The last few months of preparing for Surtex have been grueling at times. It is amazing to think how sitting at desk is so hard on your body. Today we took some time off for a nice ride through the parks in town. The roses are peaking everywhere. We passed garage sales, people walking dogs, and once in a while the smell of breakfast was in the air. That always makes me smile. Our bicycle built for two was a very good investment in time together many years ago.
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