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Archive for the frog kisser

Watercolor Word Paintings

I’m excited to share some of the new things from my Etsy shop! If you’ve been following Plop! lately, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been incorporating painting into my sketch journal process. Watercolor has been my painting medium of choice since I was in college, and lately I’ve enjoyed getting back into it — pairing it with some of the hand-drawn lettering that’s captured my interest. I’ve been working on a few watercolor “word paintings,” and I’ve decided to add my first prints to The Frog Kisser shop — available as 8 x 10″ and 11 x 14″! Here are a few I’m starting with. I hope you enjoy taking a look!

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Spring Forward . New Stationery Designs

I’m so ready for Spring! I don’t know about you, but my children have been virtually bouncing right before my eyes in anticipation of running free for Spring. I don’t know how much longer I can hold off Baby Girl and her flip flops. Of course, the Mississippi weather these last few weeks has been nothing short of a tease. We enjoyed snow flurries on Saturday, and I’m certain we’ll reach the 60s sometime tomorrow. Such is life in the Deep South!

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In anticipation of the Spring season, I’ve been working on a few new block print designs for The Frog Kisser Etsy shop. It’s been very fun to continue this craft and hopefully improve my quality and craftsmanship with each new iteration. The Spring designs feature some of my favorite reminders of the new life happening this time of year — fruitful nests, new blade of grass and flowers seeking the sun. My favorite design so far is the watercolor embellished bird’s nest. I’ve experimented with a bronze slightly metallic ink and blues and browns for the speckled egg. I hope you enjoy the new designs and please leave a comment about your favorites and ways to make them more “kissable!”

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You can find the new designs on Etsy here:
SPRING NEST in Metallic Bronze
SPRING NEST in Robin’s Egg Blue
SPRING GREENS in Emerald
SPRING FORWARD in Emerald
DOUBLE SUNFLOWER in Yellow

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Some watercolor “sketching” today! This is the experimental phase of some Spring block printed notecards with watercolor accents I’m working on for the Etsy shop — all done while seeing snow flurries outside my window. In Mississippi. On March 2nd. Go figure.

a new creative project

I have a new personal creative pursuit to share with you today to celebrate Friday! Over the extended holiday the kids and I took for Christmas, I was thinking through some of my goals for 2013. I kept coming back to wanting to draw and make things. I’ve always been a “maker.” Tinkering with this and that to make little treasures, whether jewelry or hand-made books or gift wrapping. During the first two years of Small Pond Graphics, I’ve focused more on digital work in getting my business off the ground. I’ve spent a lot of time in front of a computer or ipad screen! But, with the loss of my husband, Mike, this last year and dealing with the changes in our lives, I realized that sometimes tangible things can be comforting. And inspiring. There’s a joy and discipline in creating something with your hands that helps us move forward. Maybe.

SO, I’ve been getting back into “making”, experimenting with block printing again and enjoying a little watercolor painting. The ideas are new and sometimes half-baked, but I’ve enjoyed letting my kids watch and hearing their sweet “Mommy, I think you’re doing a good job with your artwork.” I love how there is never any “high” art with them. It’s all equivalent to pulling out the washable Crayola markers, and I like that.

The product of this renewed “making” adventure I’d like to share is a new Etsy shop! I’ve named it The Frog Kisser, and I’m slowly adding hand-painted and block printed notecards, gift tags and small prints. Here are a couple of the first designs, and I hope you’ll stop into the shop and let me know what you think! I’m always happy to hear what might make these designs more “kissable”. Happy Friday!

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