Mom5Kids

Sketch #56 Scene 4

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-10:00

This sketch has been sitting in my sketchbook for awhile and I finally have had the inclination and opportunity to finish it. I like how the color came out. This guy has an unusual trait for my leaf dragons...

Sketch #68 Leaf Dragon Orange 17

2012-01-30T13:30:00.000-10:00

This guy I did in browns; he should camouflage nicely in fall foliage. His goatee makes me think of Pharaohs, maybe he lives in the reeds by the Nile.

Doodle

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-10:00

Doodle using colored pencils on drawing paper, approximately 8x8

This is what I ended up with while trying out the colored pencils (Eagle Prismacolor) my dad gave me. I started out with the arcs which evolved eventually into hair. I like the pencils smoothness and blending.

Sketch #67 Leaf Dragon Orange 16

2012-01-25T09:55:00.000-10:00

My dad gave me a bunch of colored pencils while I was visiting. Before visiting I had been contemplating doing a dragon in browns and oranges, but I didn't really have the array of colors I felt I needed to use in order to make a smooth enough transition (see sketches #32 and #33). With the new color range I felt comfortable with the color project and this guy was born :) Thanks Dad!

Sketch #66 Leaf Dragon Green 15

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-10:00

A BIG thank you to my parents!

I went to visit my parents for a week and one of the spectacular things they did for me was purchase a new mac for me to pick up at our Hawaii store. It is still such a surprise and blessing. Transferring my 'stuff' over is a joyful chore and Apple was giving away printers with their macs at the time of purchase, and so now I have a dedicated printer to go with my mac.

This guy is the very first thing I scanned with the printer and cleaned up in CS3 (my first project on my new mac). The Apple people said CS3 wouldn't work in Lion, but it does. The Genius bar doesn't know everything.

Anyway, this computer runs much better (probably because it has lots of space) and once I get my kits off of the old one, the old one should run a lot better. No one else puts such a heavy load as I do in this house on the computers, so the old one should be fine for a while, although I think it needs the fan looked at.

So, thanks to my parents, I can now prep and post my sketches. I just have to have waiting or free time to sketch and finish them.

Sketch #65 Leaf Dragon Green 14 Oak Leaf

2012-01-06T11:46:00.002-10:00

Belated Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you all had a fabulous first day of the year and subsequent week!

Well, I put a fan directed to the back of my computer and it seems be better... i.e. I was able to scan and save, clean this guy up and save in Photoshop, and lastly post it here :) I also have learned to open certain programs first (or only) before using them and now I shut down regularly... Hopefully, this will keep me operating enough to post my drawings here and do the other things I need to do on my computer.

Hugs,
Theta

2011-12-24T07:23:00.000-10:00

Merry Christmas!

It's been a busy month! It started with my youngest breaking off his two front teeth, my eldest wrecking the Yaris (no-one was hurt, Praise God!, and the car will be fixed and returned in January, Praise God - it wasn't totaled), my youngest son getting his teeth fixed and three days later having one of the repairs pop off (it will be repaired in January), and the continued doctor visits for the youngest. He is learning and doing exercises for his old bladder issues. They seem to be working in that his muscles are getting stronger. The doctor says his muscles need to get stronger and he needs to learn to relax. This is going to take a while.

Mid-month the oldest two had finals. They seem to have done well and are very happy the semester is over. A4 has one more semester before graduation and M will be in her second semester of her first year. First semester of next year, M is planning on going to France as an exchange student.

Ab, Cy, and Megs have been working hard to finish up some of their work before the end of the year - preferably before tomorrow, so they can have next week off :)

Tutoring has been going well. The kids are great - especially once they get their confidence up and feel good about themselves.

Now as to why I haven't been posting, sometime shortly after the previous post, my computer stopped working properly. It has started freezing. It won't save my photoshop files and will only work with pdf's if I restart the computer. I'm not exactly sure what is wrong with it, it seems unstable. In Libya I had to replace the hard drive and there may be complications from that process. I have run some diagnostics on it and it says it is fine. In January I'll get more serious about fixing it :)

Pastor Derrick led us to this great Bible website: http://www.youversion.com/
The dramatic reading of the Bible is fabulous and they have reading programs as well that are individualized (I am going through a parenting one). We all enjoy listening.

Have a great Christmas and New Year!

Theta

Sketch #64 Leaf Dragon Green 13

2011-12-01T10:13:00.001-10:00

This guy is an Oak Green Leaf Dragon. I had better finish his food soon, he's looking a bit peckish :)

Sketch #61 Leaf Dragon Green 11

2011-11-30T08:26:00.001-10:00

This guy, I finally finished. I've been busy with the kids and I ate some things I shouldn't have. I had a taste of everything we cooked for Thanksgiving and have been paying for it since. My joints hurt and I'm draggy still - it's been a week and it may take 2 more to get the stuff out of my system. Definitely add in foods one at a time, I have no idea which of the myriad of foods I ate was the problem. I suspect several of them, which is not helpful either. Oh, well. The problem with my sketch book is that I haven't figured out how to color laying down or when my eyes keep insisting on shutting. It may be a while before I am able to post like I was :(

Have a great day!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-10:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a blessed day on this day of thanksgiving in America :)

This week has been a dry week for my posting, but I have done some sketching in my little book :) I am hoping to get more sketches up after Thanksgiving, but it may not be until Monday as I have been quite busy with family things and tutoring (plus I've been reading my Alton Brown library book in 'free' moments).

Tonight I cooked rice in the oven like he suggested in his book. It came out like Paella rice, there were no complaints from the eating crew and the baking dish was very easy to clean. Next time I may use one of the Corningware serving dishes I got from my mother-in-law ages ago and forget to use. They have each have a pretty tight lid so I won't have to cover the dish with aluminum foil and they are the perfect size for our rice needs. A4 seems to think we need a rice cooker. We are probably one of the only families on island that don't own a rice cooker :D

Blessings to you all!

Sketch #62 Green Leaf Dragon 12 Fall Maple

2011-11-21T13:25:00.000-10:00

This guy has a maple leaf tail and snow cone head :) I felt like coloring him before #11 for the simple reason that I like his tail. The page after him has more leaf dragon food on it, which could account for his hunting expression.

Notes

2011-11-21T08:50:00.000-10:00

The last couple of days have been very busy, plus we went to the library. So with being busy (everyday stuff, horseback riding, church, filling out a questionnaire from FeelGood TV, shopping for food, and schooling stuff), Mo's Power Point French presentation, and the Alton Brown books (one on cooking gear and one on his shows), I have not been on the computer except to check mail since Saturday morning. I am hoping to get a picture up today, but I have to work with the boys and then tutor, so we'll see.

Mo's presentation is looking quite good, however, it can only be done on my computer using the French keyboard. I will post it here if: 1. she gives me permission, and 2. I can figure out how to do it.

The books by Alton Brown are exceptionally good reading. He is a funny writer and his recipes actually work. I also like that he uses tools in different ways than intended by the manufacturer.

We bought our turkey for Thanksgiving and I'm thinking about starting a dry brining (consisting of salt, pepper, and herbs) on it today. Brining is supposed to be started three days before eating, so today is the day. We are also going to have: mashed potatoes, yams, corn, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, gravy and Dh wants cake and pie "/ I'm not sure what kind of cake, but I think one of the pies is going to be lemon meringue. We have fresh lemons on the tree that need to be picked. We might make two and give one to Pastor, as he's been a bit down lately and it's his favorite pie. Annabelle is going to be a big help over the next few days as we get everything ready. (I'm putting this list here so I won't lose it, or forget something important ;) )

Time to get back to work.

Have a great Lord blessed day!

Sketch #60 Green Leaf Dragon 10

2011-11-17T19:21:00.001-10:00

For some reason I felt like this guy had to have red ears, go figure :D I do like how he turned out even though it looks like he has a shock of red hair instead of ears.

I had a very busy day!

Omega's doctor appointment went well. He is going to have to learn some exercises to control some muscles that don't work quite like they should because of the diverticulum he had several years ago. He will go in again after Thanksgiving. They took us right away at the doctor's office, so I didn't get to draw much in my waitbook.

I also had a very enjoyable conversation from a lady at the Norwegian television station FeelGood. We'll see what comes of that later.

I even conversed with my mom and dad today, which was lovely. They are doing well :)

Have a great day/evening :)

Sketch #59 Green Leaf Dragon 9

2011-11-16T12:30:00.001-10:00

This green leaf dragon has on it's fall colors. Cy thinks that they too lose their leaves in the winter... I'm not sure about that. I will have to delve more into their Life and Habits before I can confirm this rumor ;)

Have a happy, blessed day!

Sketch #51 Dragon's Prey

2011-11-15T12:15:00.000-10:00

This sketch is of the Leaf Dragon's Prey. I brushed Delta Ceramcoat Sparkle Glaze from a bottle about 6 years old (I keep everything forever) over the flying prey and on the belly of the caterpillar. It shows up more as spots than sparkles online. The paper, being cheap sketch paper, crinkled a bit on the large expanse of the butterfly wings. It should flatten out after a while since it is in my sketchbook. My main concern is that the Glaze will stick to the opposing page and I may need to put some wax paper between the pages.

Sketch #55 Green Leaf Dragon 8

2011-11-15T09:00:00.001-10:00

Here is my newest leaf dragon. He makes me think of spring. Cy wants him for a pet ;) I did do some sketches of what they could eat, I just need to color them in. I am thinking I should add some sparkle to the food sketches which means going through stuff to find pearlescent paint or glitter or something. Later... Found some sparkle glaze and glass finish, so maybe that will work. I know I used to have some glitter glue around here somewhere, too. One of those will work.

Yesterday was very busy, which is why I didn't get this up then. The boys had to catch up on some of their schoolwork and in the afternoon I tutored preschool and elementary math. The kids are so much fun!

Sketch #53 Tree

2011-11-13T14:20:00.000-10:00

This is one of the trees we see on our drive over the H3 when we go to Koko Head Crater Stables. Hawaii has many trees that look like Dr. Seus trees. It's quite an artistic experience to see the variety of weirdness that trees can take on. I really should make some more studies.

Sketch #52 Guinea Pig

2011-11-13T06:30:00.000-10:00

This guy looks sort of like one of our guinea pigs. He is a bit exaggerated and his ear is not quite right, however his expression is :D I'll do a better job next time, since this is my first try at a guinea pig and I didn't have him in front of me. I also should do him in pastels so I can get the color right :)

Sketch #50 Flower 4

2011-11-12T14:15:00.000-10:00

The colors on this one came out better. I also like the foliage. It is more complete than the previous one.

Sketch #49 Flower 3

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-10:00

I felt like drawing flowers the other day, so I drew two more. I wanted to do this one in similar colors to what I did, but my current colors are limited and I didn't have the colors I wanted to use. Hence, I am only moderately satisfied with the flower. The next one may go better.

#6 Layout for the 2011 Book

2011-11-11T08:28:00.001-10:00

The 6th Layout for the 2011 Christmas Book is about Grandma Louise's visit to see us. This was the best visit we have ever had with her; we all had so much fun. Her visit was also special because she was with us for Easter.

Sketch #58 Christmas 2

2011-11-11T06:15:00.000-10:00

This is the second Christmas card idea I have had. I like the "a" and "e" on this one better. I sort of ruled out the letters on this one so they are more even. I like the way the colors came out.

Sketch #57 Christmas 1

2011-11-10T10:25:00.000-10:00

I'm starting to think about Christmas cards for this year. This is one idea I have. It is based on the design I made last year for the card sets I created for the Benghazi European School's Christmas Bazaar. I think maybe crosses would be nice between the words instead of the hearts. I like the way it looks, but I think for a final I should use a ruler. Also, I'm not sure about the "e's" and "a". I think they are too heavy.

Sketches #26 and #27 Line

2011-11-09T13:15:00.000-10:00

I inked these in and have not decided how I am going to color them. They would both fit nicely on cards and a sentiment could be added to the front. The colors change according to the sentiment chosen, hence I am having difficulty in committing to specific colors. I may end up coloring these on the computer or printing out several copies and coloring each differently, but for now here they sit :)

Sketch #40 Mini Elf with Mushrooms

2011-11-08T16:30:00.000-10:00

Here is another scene with characters for Cy :) He says the inchworm is a baby dragon because it has a goatee.

Sketch #39 Two Headed Water Dragon

2011-11-08T11:20:00.000-10:00

For some reason I decided to put two heads on this guy. One head seems to be of a happier countenance than the other.

Sketch #48 Green Leaf Dragon 7

2011-11-07T14:25:00.000-10:00

This guy is a bit different. He is the last one of the leaf tail group I sketched.

Sketch #54 Colored Pencil Doodle 1

2011-11-07T09:25:00.000-10:00

This one I did in colored pencil, no pre-sketching. I'm not sure if I'm done with it or not. I like the shape it currently has; it feels complete.

Sketch #47 Green Leaf Dragon 6

2011-11-07T06:10:00.000-10:00

I gave this guy a pretty yellow head with a touch of orange for fall. He is curious about what is going on behind him :)

Sketch#46 Green Leaf Dragon 5

2011-11-06T06:10:00.000-10:00

On this guy, Leaf Dragon #5, I put just a touch of yellow on his snout. It makes him look a bit like he has a goatee.

AB Fall Carnival Costume

2011-11-05T14:52:00.001-10:00

AB was an elf for the Fall Carnival and her friend was BamBam. They had the coolest costumes! AB wore her abaya ( Dii I know you are going to have fits about my spelling! Shh...) as a cape. We braided just the fronts of her hair and it looked great.

Sketch #44 Green Leaf Dragon 4

2011-11-05T10:10:00.000-10:00

This is the 4th leaf dragon in the series. I added a tinge of yellow and orange to his nose and tail. He has his sights on some prey :)

#5 Layout for the 2011 Book

2011-11-04T14:34:00.000-10:00

For Christmas last year the girls received paint by number paintings. They really enjoyed completing them, especially because they were a steady thing to do while we were going through things and packing to leave Libya. We found out December 23 the company was sending us home, after Christmas presents had been bought and wrapped. They ended up giving their paintings to friends of ours there.

No one knew what was going to happen in Benghazi; Tunisia was okay as was Egypt. By the time we left in early January, things were getting out of control on both sides of Libya and a week after we got home, things sort of blew up. God sure takes care of us!

Sketch #45 Green Elf

2011-11-04T06:15:00.000-10:00

This guy was better received than #31 the water fairy. The characters for a larger work are coming together. Someday there may be a gathering on a single sheet, someday... need some more characters first ;)

Sketch #43 Green Leaf Dragon 3

2011-11-03T17:12:00.000-10:00

This guy is the brother of #41. I drew a bunch of these guys that are all very similar, but not quite the same. I had a very good time doing so, however, now I have to decide if they are all going to be spring colors or if some are going to be autumnal :)

Sketch #42 Green Leaf Dragon 2

2011-11-03T12:15:00.000-10:00

This Green Leaf Dragon is a darker green with light green highlights. He has his eyes on some prey, and is ready to snap :) I wonder what he eats? Fish, dragonflies, snails, caterpillars?

#4 Layout for The 2011 Book

2011-11-03T09:12:00.001-10:00

This is the 4th layout I've finished for the 2011 Book. This one has to do with relatives visiting. I have so many more to do...

Sketch #41 Green Leaf Dragon 1

2011-11-03T06:10:00.000-10:00

This next group is a series of Leaf Dragons. So called because they live among leafy foliage :) I am not sure if they are all going to be green or not. The first one is and perhaps the second...

Sketch #38 Blue Water Dragon

2011-11-02T15:30:00.000-10:00

This is another Blue Water Dragon. I enjoy drawing and coloring them. However, if I am ever to finish the pages for the 2011 book, I really need to work on them :0 These guys are so much more fun and no pressure :D

Rainbows, Cavies, and AB

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000-10:00

It has been raining the last couple of days and this morning I caught part of a rainbow on the western side. Off to the left can barely be seen a secondary one. It often rains in the afternoon and that part of the island is in the rain shadow, so most of my rainbow pictures are taken looking eastward. To catch one this direction is special.

This morning I caught AB holding Pirate. He has the sweetest disposition! She was an elf for the carnival and braided the front part of her hair. She also slathered green sparkly make-up all over her face... she got it all off, even the stuff in her ears, I was impressed. She looked great in her costume, hopefully I can get some pictures of her from someone. She did her make-up and stuff at a friends and I didn't get any pictures :(

Fall Carnival

2011-11-02T07:49:00.001-10:00

The boys dressed up as Asterix and an African Adventurer for our Church's Fall Carnival. They played a few games and then ate hot dogs, chicken nuggets, shaved ice, cotton candy, and popcorn. After eating they took off to the bounce house and played in there for a long, long time before going to get more shaved ice. Because they ate and played in the bounce house for so long, they didn't spend a lot of time playing games, hence their candy haul was very low (Praise God!). This is a good thing, they had a great time and they won't be on candy overload :)

Sketch #37 Green Sea Dragon

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-10:00

This guy like to swim in circles, fast. I was still thinking letters with this one, but I think numbers would be more accurate.

Sketch #36 Aqua Sea Dragon

2011-11-01T16:30:00.000-10:00

This guy I decided to do in in lighter colors. I generally prefer jewel tones, so I like his head, but his body is okay... Also, I was thinking about the alphabet when I sketched this guy :)

Sketch #21 Tau altered

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-10:00

This is another collaboration between my Dad and myself. It came out kinda cool I think :)

Sketch #35 Horse

2011-10-31T12:30:00.000-10:00

The kids wanted a horse drawing. I am, sad to say, not particularly good at drawing horses. So you see my attempt. Mythical creatures from inside my head's world come easier to me :)

Pictures of our flowers

2011-10-31T10:30:00.001-10:00

The orchids that my husband rescued when we got back are now in full bloom! They are so pretty.

The passion fruit is blooming again. Their blooms are really neat looking.

The white Bird of Paradise are blooming, but their huge blooms are behind the plants or hidden in their foliage. They have no stem to speak of and are stuck in the stalks of the plant, this makes them hard to see.

Cavies: Continued

2011-10-31T10:20:00.000-10:00

I finished Pirate and Cream Puff's cage yesterday. Cream Puff is the closest one. AB and I went out and got the materials, then I made the cage, while she helped/watched/held the babies :) They like their new home. The next thing I need to do for them is make them a house. The cardboard one is very temporary (at least I hope it is). Making it will require another trip to the hardware store for materials and getting out the power tools. Oh, and making the plans for their house - one minor detail ;) I have an idea of what I want it to look like, so that's a start.

Sketch #34 Rainbow Water Dragon

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-10:00

I love the movement this guy appears to have, he's going places. His ears and head turned out just right :) This guy makes me happy.

Sketch #33 Red Water Dragon 2

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000-10:00

I like how both of these guys turned out. They would be nice framed together.. I could flip one so they face each other, that would be cool.

Cavies

2011-10-29T15:30:00.000-10:00

We have been thinking about getting Guinea Pigs for a while now and when we saw them at the Honolulu Zoo last Sunday, My husband and I looked at one another and said, "We have to get Guinea pigs." We went out looking yesterday and this morning for some Abyssinian Guinea Pigs. PETCO had some cute ones, but they wanted $37.99 for them. The other pet stores ranged from free to 24.99. Much more realistic. We ended up going back to Pets R Us in Mauka where we saw two yesterday and getting these two brothers. We thought they had the prettiest coloring. They are 4-6 months old and about half the size they will eventually be. Pirate was born without an eye, he's the darker brother with Cy, and was free. We didn't want to split the brothers up and they have great personalities, plus they do better in pairs, so we bought them both :) Cream Puff is the lighter one with Megs. The bottom picture is of their temporary home. Tomorrow I shall get cage materials and build them a 2'x4' home on the back lanai. The chips are Aspen and I seem to have less of a reaction to them than the usual pine chips, hurray!

A plug for Pets R Us - They are nice, helpful, and friendly in their clean shop.

Sketch #32 Red Water Dragon 1

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-10:00

This is the first of a pair of Red Water Dragons. I have decided to color them both Reds and oranges because of their tails.

Sketch #29 Green Blue Sea Dragon

2011-10-28T19:30:00.000-10:00

This is the female. She is hiding in the grass :) This pair was fun to color.

A few of the kids and I went out looking at guinea pigs. They are so cute and way less expensive then a dog :) They would be fun to sketch.

Sketch #28 Green Blue Sea Dragon

2011-10-28T16:30:00.000-10:00

This Sea Dragon is the first of a pair. I think this is a male because of the horn. He is in a hurry to get to the next post ;)

Sketch #25 Green Blue Dragon

2011-10-28T12:30:00.000-10:00

I have been thinking about this guys colors for awhile. Finally, this morning I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. What you see is what I did... A blue booted and spined green dragon with pink ears. Friendly - don't you think :)

Sketch #24 Momma and Baby

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-10:00

I like this one, because the little one has such trusting eyes...

Sketch #23 Swirl A

2011-10-27T19:00:00.000-10:00

This swirl is more like the doodles I do on Sunday mornings - without the color ;) I enjoyed sketching this one with all the curves and then choosing the colors was fun.

Sketches #21 and #22

2011-10-27T13:00:00.000-10:00

These two I did when I was thinking about visiting my parents. I hope they like them :) I sure enjoyed drawing them and then deciding the colors.

Sketch #15 Orange Leaf

2011-10-27T11:00:00.001-10:00

It's fall and now I have a pretty fall leaf :) We don't get this kind around here, memories... This leaf turned out better than the last, I think. Much Cleaner :)

Well, I spent about two hours waiting for the car and ended up doing about 7 sketches in my waitbook. I'm very glad I brought it, but now I have a lot of inking and coloring to do :) It will be fun!

2011-10-27T06:44:00.001-10:00

I scanned some more sketches last night and early this morning. After I take the car down to the dealership for it's check-up, work with the boys on their school, and get the sketches cleaned up, I'll start posting them :)

Sketch #16 Fire Dauber

2011-10-26T19:25:00.000-10:00

This guys eyes are what led me to color him red, orange, and yellow. He has a bit of a different attitude carried through in his eyes, ears, and stance. Annabelle's cat sometimes got this look, especially before he attacked.

Sketch #14 Blue Water Dauber

2011-10-26T06:35:00.001-10:00

This happy guy I sketched about a month ago and colored this week. I like the way his coloring came out.

Sketch #30 Elf/Gnome Scene

2011-10-25T09:42:00.000-10:00

This is the Elf/Gnome drawing I did for my son last week. He wants an even more involved scene, so I may have to get out the drawing board and a bigger piece of paper.

Sketch's #17, #18, #19, and #20

2011-10-25T09:36:00.000-10:00

Ok, so my daughter and I are going through this simple learning how to draw book (You Can Draw Anything, Kim Gamble) as a precursor to a better, more complicated drawing book. This exercise is sort of to get us warmed up for the other book :) I had a half hour break between tutees and decided to see if I could a) remember what we had drawn the day before and b) see if I could remember how to draw them according to the book. Well I did and they turned out okay. The cat has a long neck and looks like he is either annoyed or trying to hypnotize you. Mr. Tiger has great fur and whiskers. The pelican needs to eat better. And, believe me, the owl looks way better than it did the first time.

We finished the people last week and this week will start on perspective in the book. The people were interesting... Perspective will be better.

Sketch #13 Fall Leaf

2011-10-24T14:31:00.003-10:00

I'm not sure how much I like the way I colored this one; I think I was in a funk. Oh well, I have another leaf to color and I can always draw this one again or colorize it in Photoshop, if its worth the trouble.

On another issue, I took one of those thin plastic cutting pads that come three to a pack at Wal-Mart and cut it to 5"x8" and it works excellently between the pages of my sketchbook. It is thinner than the Sizzix pad I was using and is a better size. I am quite happy with this solution.

Sketch #12 Mud-Dauber

2011-10-24T08:24:00.000-10:00

This guy I decided to color brown after the mud-dauber. He looked like he should be 'skipping' around in the mud having a grand time.

#3 Layout for The 2011 Book

2011-10-23T20:26:00.002-10:00

So this is my third layout for the 2011 Year Book. For some reason I'm going for simple this year. Maybe 'cause I'd rather be drawing :O

These are some photos from the Keaiwa Loop Trail which is billed as a keiki trail, i.e. it's suitable for children. The children in question better be hung onto tight or they might slide down a ravine. There was a lot of mud on parts of the trail when we went, so their was quite a bit of cleanup before getting into the car. The views from the trail are fantastic of the airport area and the upper H-3. This particular day we were also blessed to find brightly colored fungi and mushrooms.

The Keaiwa Loop Trail is a fun trail when it's not too muddy. There is also plenty of parking (a plus on island), several bathrooms, and the trail is marked well. So even though it can be a bit heart pounding at times when with little ones, it scores pretty high.

Sketch #4 with additions

2011-10-23T17:41:00.000-10:00

My dad added some surfer dudes on short boards - phantoms of the waves.

Sketch #7 Mouse Scene

2011-10-23T07:16:00.001-10:00

This day I felt like incorporating several elements into a scene. I started off with the mushrooms and then doodled in the mouse. The mouse had to be looking at something so I added the ladybug. Then to fill fill the page and make a better setting, I added the foliage.

The 5x8 sketchbook is quite sufficient for my individual sketches, but I feel the need for more space when I do something like this. One thought I had would be to use 12x12 paper, then store the pages in a scrapbook album. In other words build the pages rather than have them already in a book. Then I could use page protectors and the chalk wouldn't get all over. That could give me more medium flexibility. I have page protected some of my small pastel drawings in the past, but not stored them in an album. The are samples for the kids to see.

If someone does this already, please leave a comment on how it works or doesn't in your experience.

Sketch #11 Yellow Green Sea Dragon

2011-10-22T15:12:00.001-10:00

Here is another Sea Dragon, this time in yellow and Green. His horn is a bit hat-like, bit I think it's cute :)

Sketch #9 Pencil Baby Dragon

2011-10-22T12:39:00.000-10:00

This guy I started shading while sitting and waiting. Later I decided to do a bit more shading and not ink or color it. The family has differing reactions to that. Some people definitely prefer everything to be in color. I guess some people just don't see in black and white ;)

Sketch #31 Dancing Water Fairy

2011-10-21T12:54:00.005-10:00

While the boys have been working on their schoolwork, I have been drawing or coloring while I wait. This morning my 10 year old asked if I could draw a dwarf, fairy, elf, sprite, or something like that. I drew him a gnome sitting on a mushroom, that wasn't what he had in mind; so I drew him a water fairy dancing in a puddle, well that wasn't what he wanted either. Maybe next week I'll try drawing an elf or brownie or something and see how that goes over ;) Anyway, I finished the Water Fairy as you can see. I decided not to create a pattern on her wings so that she would stand out and the drawing would be less busy. I think though a light veining pattern, maybe in white or blueish white would look good.

Sketches #2 and #5 Flowers

2011-10-21T08:40:00.001-10:00

These flowers I sketched 5 days apart and colored about a month apart. They are the 2nd and 5th sketches in my sketchbook. I usually enjoy drawing flowers, but I haven't drawn any in my sketchbook since.

Sketch #1 Flower Explosion

2011-10-21T08:28:00.001-10:00

This is the first sketch in my book. I think it shows how happy I was to be drawing again, instead of only doodling in the margins of the Sunday school literature. I really hadn't been taking time to draw since we returned from Libya. There every year I worked with the girls on preparing for their IGCSE art exam and the boys were working on an art curriculum. This fall we started art again, but that was in September/October after I started this journal.

From September 9th to today, October 21st, I have 29 sketches in various forms of completion in my sketchbook. I do not sketch one every day, sometimes I go a week without sketching in my book, but on some days I sketch several objects. Sometimes, I sketch, ink, and color in one day; other days, I sketch one day and a month later ink it. A lot depends on time and mood :) Color is definitely a mood thing for me.

Sketch #4 Darker Blue Waves

2011-10-20T19:33:00.000-10:00

This is the 4th sketch and the 2nd of two wave sketches. It is similar to the 3rd, but the colors are more varied.

Sketch #3 Waves Blue/Green

2011-10-20T15:34:00.003-10:00

This drawing (the third) and the 4th were done early in September, when I was thinking of waves and the ocean. The slight variation in color isn't showing up as well as I would like on my screen. I may post the 4th later today or tomorrow.

2011-10-19T08:06:00.000-10:00

Last week I made up this simple flyer for Mr. Dionisio at church for his group, Oahu Baptist Network Ministry - Fan the Flame. His men's group is hosting a retreat for all the guys and they are encouraged to bring their sons and/or grandsons. The event begins Friday evening after work and ends after lunch on Saturday. It looks to be a lot of fun. I can't remember who the speaker is going to be, but he speaks to all of the age groups at once instead of splitting them up.

I decided he needed some sort of logo for his group because people were confusing his group name and the event name, so I came up with the swirling flame and cross. Now there is no confusion :) I drew both the bridge and logo in illustrator. It would have been much faster for me to draw them by hand, but I wanted them scalable and clear, just in case. It is a good thing I thought ahead since Mr. Dionisio is talking about making some posters now, not just the flyers.

Sketch #10

2011-10-18T21:44:00.002-10:00

Continuing on my quest for curves and thinking about the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I sketched this Blue Sea Dragon in mid September and colored it in today. I like the feeling of movement this particular sketch has. Extracted, it might make a good element to go on one of my aquarium scrap pages.

#2 Layout for The 2011 Book

2011-10-18T10:03:00.001-10:00

This is the second layout I've finished (more or less) for The 2011 Book. These pictures were all taken in Libya. It was so great to meet the people on the Logos Hope and be able to visit with them. We even met a lady from Kauai.

On a different note, I called the allergist and got some of the test reports. I am extremely allergic to ALL the grasses they tested for, allergic to house dust mites (no wonder I have trouble breathing when I sweep or vacuum; or someone else does), and mildly allergic to a host of foods... Also the Epstein Barr virus is present and the figures were very high. The Allergist told me that is why I am hypersensitive to things I am minimally allergic to. In doing some internet research, the virus could also be behind the Fibromyalgia. Something to ruminate on anyway.

Hugs to all - especially those we are far from...

Sketch #8 Red Dragon

2011-10-17T09:38:00.001-10:00

This Red Dragon I sketched in mid September and colored today. I don't usually bring colored pencils or an ink pen with me when I'm out, so I ink and color later when the mood strikes (and I am waiting for the kids to finish an assignment).

Sketch #6 Bird

2011-10-16T17:34:00.003-10:00

This is a sketch a did September 9th, inked, and then colored with colored pencils. I then did some clean-up in Photoshop before posting it on Picasa. I enjoy the process of creating. I started a sketchbook after visiting my parents and my dad showed me his 'waiting book'. That's not what he called it, but the name suits. Now at the doctor's office, at break times, and other sit-and-wait times, I have something I enjoy doing. It makes the time speed by!

#1 Layout for The 2011 Book

2011-10-16T14:39:00.003-10:00

I updated my header, as you can see. I'm trying to decide if I really like it or not...

However,

this is the way the layout should look.

2011-10-13T17:48:00.001-10:00

I have been taking a break from designing. Re-aligning my priorities with people who care for me and those that need me to care for them, has been very good for my health. Although allergies and Fibromyalgia still plague me at times, I am feeling better overall. As homeschooling settles into a groove, I may think about designing again, we'll see. The kids and hubby are a priority :)

I am beginning work on a year in review book. I am hoping it will be done before Christmas, but as busy as things are, that may be wishful thinking.

Below are my first set of layouts. I chose to use my April of 2010 Color Challenge kit that I created for the now defunct Deco Pages (Deb has a neat Blog now). The colors are excellent for continuity throughout the album as they will work with any season or event.

2011-02-21T20:23:00.001-10:00

Reports are dribbling in slowly that friends are headed home and are ok. Praise God. Keep praying.
Hugs,
Theta

Notes :)

2011-02-08T17:22:00.004-10:00

A lot of things have happened since Christmas:

1) We are finally home in Hawaii! Yay!
2) I have internet! more Yays!
3) We finished the deck. Phew!
4) The tree that was growing 4-6 inches in diameter is now gone. Whew! That is a relief. The man still has to come back and take out the stump, but the tree is gone.
5) The girls are learning to drive. Uh-oh...
6) Schooling has begun again.
7) We still haven't gone to the beach.
8) Because the new car would get un-new real fast...
8.5) Since we sold the van when we left we had to get a new vehicle when we got back, we chose to get a Toyota Prius - it's really fun to drive!
9) The old van was dying, so we bought a Toyota Yaris - we don't want to get this one sandy either...
9.5) And the girls are learning to drive... uh-oh...
10) There is still a ton to do and I miss my friends in Benghazi, but I get to see old ones here (they're so wonderful) and I love living here where it's warm :)

So you will ask - did you take pictures - not of things I should have (like the hideous mess the deck was in when we got back or the size of the tree), but I still have a chance for the other things. The girls haven't hit anything with the cars so they still look new and the cars finally have their license plates. Our son still has his girlfriend and the kids will be doing schoolwork for
awhile :)

Well that's it for now, hugs,
Theta

2008-12-27T23:11:00.001-10:00

Hi everyone. We are in Egypt and heading back to Libya tomorrow. I haven't much designing lately partly due to the lack of internet access. Hopefully we will be up and running soon :)

November's Club-Deco Kit is out :)

2008-11-04T20:42:00.005-10:00

The top layout is my contribution to the November 2008 Club-Deco Kit, Heritage Blessings. The next two layouts are done with my quick pages that come with my kit. Below is the November Club Kit collage. It has a sampling from most of the contributions.

Moving Soon... and other stuff

2008-11-03T06:17:00.007-10:00

I looks like we are heading out on the 8th of November. After that our internet access will be sketchy for awhile :(

However, I have managed to get up all but one of my Deco-Pages Posting Rewards. I'm quite happy about that and, as PatinParis is the only one qualified to receive the last two at this time (one other person is getting close), she will understand if I don't get it it up yesterday. Besides, this will give her a chance to download the 12500 kit ;)

The new welcome kit is up at Deco-Pages.com. You can probably recognize my contribution down there on the bottom right. It is the first part in my Gallant Chivalry Posting Rewards Kits series. You can get my reward kits just by posting at Deco-Pages:).

The November Newsletter is out. PatinParis did the freebie for this month. I did the one coming up in December:)

I used my Gallant Chivalry 100 Posts Kit Quick Page for this layout. You will get the Gallant Chivalry 100 Posts Kit and this quick page when you reach 100 posts at Deco-Pages. You won't be able to see the posting levels until you get to them, so the kit contents will remain a surprise to some degree. You get to see samples from the kits in the QPs and will get the kits when you reach the posting levels:) Click on the images to be taken to the layouts posted on Deco-Pages to see the credits and fonts used.

For this layout I used my Gallant Chivalry 500 Posts Reward Kit QP. The turtles looked very content basking in the sun. I believe Myra took these photographs. She is getting quite good.

Here are some more photographs from the Honolulu Zoo, this time I used my Gallant Chivalry 5000 Post Reward Kit Quick Page.

We had a wonderful time at the zoo last Tuesday. It was overcast and not too hot. It was quite nice that it didn't rain on us, nor was the zoo flooded this time:) We often seem to pick the most inopportune times to go to the zoo.

2008-10-29T21:31:00.002-10:00

I took this picture of the turtles sharing a meal at the Honolulu Zoo. I like the bright colors of the fruits and vegetables against the greens of the grass and turtles. I used my Gallant Chivalry Kit 7500 Posts Reward Quick Page for this layout. Remember, if you haven't made it to 7500 posts at Deco-Pages.com, you won't be able to see or get this great free kit. My posting reward gifts start at 25 posts and they are free when you reach the posting level. So come participate at Deco-Pages and receive my free kits! All you have to do is make posts. At Deco-Pages you get something for just participating, kinda cool isn't it?!?! Also, if you have been participating at Deco-Pages and haven't stopped by to see what posting gift you qualify for, do so before the First of November, because my old Reward kits are coming down and plopping into the store :)

2008-10-28T22:00:00.002-10:00

Today we went to the Honolulu Zoo and saw these amazing guys. They came right up to us and said hello. This is the quick Page that comes with my Gallant Chivalry 1000 posting prize kit coming November 1.

2008-10-28T05:04:00.004-10:00

One day in October Mr. Rhino came with me to tutor. He did all right for awhile, but then he became jealous of my tutees. He had to be packed away until we got home and he could lord it over us from the bookshelf again. I used the quick page from my Gallant Chivalry 12500 Posts Reward Kit for this layout.

I gave the boys haircuts yesterday and then took them outside to take their pictures. They wanted to bring Mr. Rhino and have their picture taken with him. They enjoyed, loved, and read to him. Then all of a sudden, "Look! Mr. Rhino Comes apart!" Poor, poor Mr. Rhino. He seems to have gotten his comeuppance after being such a stinker the other day ;) I used my quick page from my Gallant Chivalry Kit 2500 Post Reward Kit. For those of you who have reached 2500 or even 12500 posts at Deco-Pages.com, you can pick up the QP, the kit that goes with it, and the lower level posting kits on November 1 :)

2008-10-27T12:19:00.004-10:00

These two layouts use two of the QP's I made for my Gallant Chivalry Collection for my posting rewards. November 1 I am switching out my old posting rewards and putting in the new ones. The kits get larger at each posting level and each kit comes with a QP. The Hula layout is the QP for the 10,000 posts prize and the Everyday Sights layout is made with the 25 post reward. I hope you are able to stop by Deco-Pages and join in a game or two, post a layout or leave a comment, or join in a discussion, thereby earning my Gallant Chivalry Kit :)

2008-10-26T20:23:00.002-10:00

There are a few more days left in October to join my Font Challenge at Deco-Pages. For posting an eligible layout, you will receive the Elegant Recollections Font Challenge Kit free. The kit is an add-on to my Elegant Recollections Kits and does not contain repeated pieces.

Also don't forget I have a 30% off coupon good through the 15th of November. It's a sale because we are moving far away in physical life not in virtual, so you deserve a treat :)

Side note: I create all my kits at 300 dpi. The jpg papers are saved at 8 for excellent print quality. Most of my papers are 12x12. The elements are png files and for the most part the shadows below an object are for preview purposes only.

2008-10-21T17:15:00.003-10:00

Don't forget! There are just a few more days left for you to get my posting rewards before I change them out :) So hurry over to Deco-Pages and post away so you can reach the next level before the end of October! You receive a posting gift from when you reach 25, 100, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000 posts and on November 1 I will be changing out and extending my gifts to include 7500, 10000, 12500, and 15000 posts :) Of course if you only see the posting levels you have reached, so you don't know what you are missing :P Have an ultra marvelous day!

2008-10-21T16:11:00.002-10:00

I added some new things to my section of the Deco-Pages Store today. Treat yourself to a rainbow full of elegance with my new kit, "Elegant Recollections Kits 1 and 2'. An array of rich colors, silver elements, flowing designs and an old fashioned flair encompasses these extra large kits full of everything you need to create your own Elegant Recollection pages for your memory albums. The kits can be purchased separately or together. Purchased together they are a great deal especially if you take advantage of my 30% off coupon good through the 15th of November.

This album is created from my Dragon's Warmth Collection and fits the Cosmo Cricket Kate Album. The quick pages are approximately 6" by 6", 300 dpi pngs. I included the holes and created both left and right pages that are similar, but not exactly the same. There are 16 quick pages, 8 background pages, and one edge overlay.

2008-10-17T20:40:00.002-10:00

Aloha, we will be moving soon and I am having a moving sale in my store at Deco-Pages.com! Using the coupon code - ThetaMove:) - at checkout will get you 30% off of your order from my store of $3.00 or more. So go check out my kits that are on sale :)

2008-10-17T07:20:00.004-10:00

Hello, Retro Designs just put up this cool new kit at Deco-Pages.com and I wanted to share it with you.

Here is the link to request her freebie QP: Retro Designs A Pocket Full of Posies QP Request

This is what she did with her QP. Neat! Click on it to see it and the credits in the Deco-Pages gallery.

2008-10-16T06:31:00.004-10:00

Okay, it's mid October. We have been busy packing and now we have guests :) Life is good, but busy. We are having some sales at Deco-Pages right now and I'm working on a discount for my kits too. Also, on November 1, I will be switching out my posting rewards at Deco-Pages. So if you haven't been over there posting or if you have been posting, make sure you grab the highest posting level you can while they are still free!

I have been enjoying participating in Deb's Photo Challenge this month and have done 5 of the 8 layouts required. Many of them I did with my kit Elegant Recollections that is coming out soon.

I also did a layout for Marcee's Scrap By Numbers Challenge. She has beautiful reward kits this month for all of her challenges and if you're a Club-Deco Member you get the starter kit free! Otherwise it is $3.00 in the Deco-Pages store.

This is my layout I created with Marcee's starter kit for her Scrap By Numbers Challenge

I hope you all are having a great October!

2008-09-24T10:02:00.002-10:00

It has been pouring, here are two examples of the volume of water. Kinda cool, just enough and not too much:) The plants are totally loving it! The boys love it when it rains, because they are banned from turning on the hose and this way they get lots of water Mom can't turn off! They hoard it, they save it, they carry it around and make more mud...

God is so good! He provided us with a gorgeous rainbow today. I love rainbows, they remind of God's promises ad that He always keeps them. This rainbow was a double and sometimes a triple. It was incredibly bright.

We are almost finished packing our books for our move. Boy has that been a job cataloguing all of them. It's nice not having books spread all over the floor. I am hoping that it will also help the younger two to concentrate on their schoolwork a bit more heavily before we go. Moving is always an upheaval and although we usually get some work done, it's sort of hit or miss while we explore our new surroundings. That's usually a big learning experience in itself, and this time should prove to be even more so as I am pretty strictly an english speaker. The kids are learning Arabic, so hopefully they will get around okay with me in tow:)

2008-09-24T09:19:00.007-10:00

Hello, we have had rain here off and on for three days. We need rain so that is good, but the humidity is rather high and a bit stifling. Soon the black mold will begin. I have been working on a new kit Elegant Recollections that I hope to have in the store soon. I made two layouts with it from some old pictures my grandmother had. I need to get some more of her pictures scanned in to use in layouts so the kids have an idea who their ancestors were.

I'm not sure of the date on the one photo the other is from 1939 and contains his son with white hair so it must be from the 1800's. Someone can probably date it from the clothes and props.

I finished my kit for next months font challenge. Here is a sneak preview of it and of the layout I did with the QP that comes with it. ( It goes with my new kit too:))

I also put my Summer's end kit in the store here is it's preview and what I did with the two quick pages that comes with it.

2008-09-08T10:24:00.004-10:00

Hi everyone! I was reminded this morning how remiss I have been at keeping up my blog:(

We have been very busy here - starting up homeschooling again, getting ready for a big move, and all the other life events that continue to go on everyday.

To answer a question posed to me, all my work is exclusively available at Deco-Pages.com in the store for purchase, for club-members as part of the Club-Deco monthly kit, for joining in the Monthly Font Challenge (post a layout conforming to the rules and get a free mini kit), and for posting prizes. To receive the posting prizes, all you have to do is go to Deco-Pages.com and post comments on layouts in the gallery or in threads. For a little bit of work and a lot of fun you can get freebies - I like that!

I have put up several new kits since June, (Escape and Dragon's Warmth are two of them) and the monthly Club-Deco kits each month (Farewell Summer). I have also started hosting a monthly Font Challenge at Deco-Pages.com (Summer's End Mini Kit, which co-ordinates with the September Club-Deco).