Tea Towel Art by Richard Bawden

Lately, my brain feels like molasses. I love my little guy's coos and crowings, but I love them just a little bit less at 5:00 am. And coffee seems to bother his tummy (I'm still nursing), so I can't gulp down more than one cup a day. My point is that I'm trying to update this blog more often, but it's still quite hard to compose coherent thoughts these days! Thanks for bearing with me.

I did manage to snap a pic of these lovely tea towels I bought on our honeymoon in London the other day. They feature artwork by Richard Bawden, known mostly for his art prints. I couldn't decide between the smiling otter & his newly-caught fish and the pair of owls framed with oak leaves, so I purchased both. Not a bad dilemma to have, right? I can't remember which shop behind the British Museum featured them, but maybe it will come to me one of these days. Or probably not (much more likely). At any rate, they've held up amazingly well through messes and many wash cycles so I'm really pleased with the quality.

You can browse through more of Richard Bawden's wonderful, colorful illustrations here.

Spring Has Sprung...Sort Of...

Well, it's officially spring! The first crocuses blooming last weekend gave hints that it was on its way. I do remain a bit skeptical, however, as we're supposed to get more cold weather and snow this upcoming week. Let's hope that forecast changes stat!

Apologies for my lack of posting, but my little guy is keeping me quite busy...and very sleepy. I haven't been crafting much, but I'll post what I've been up to when I can. I hope you won't mind that it might be "quick and dirty" (ie less-than-stellar phone pics and basic directions) rather than detailed tutorials until my son is sleeping longer stretches at night.

(The above watercolor is from Created by Storm, and is absolutely lovely!)

Early Summer Favorites

Here are some of my early summer Etsy favorites, inspired by starry summer nights and the smell of saltwater waves at the beach!

This whale hanging etched with a ship image from Edies Lab reminds me of old scrimshaw carvings. It'd be perfect over a mantel or sofa.

This linocut by Mag Print depicts West Mabou Beach on Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. I've never been to Nova Scotia (although I plan on going some day!), so I'll have to live vicariously through this lovely, beachy scene instead.

This is one of my all-time favorite books! You can't go wrong with anything by Robert McCloskey, even if you don't have Maine roots like I do. He's equally well-known for his books Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings (the former is another favorite of mine!). This book is filled with amazing sketches depicting the wildlife around the sea in Maine, and the lives of these two little girls shown here. You can find it used from BookBW here, or new from any bookseller.

Here's another lovely linocut, called "Evening Trees", by Perla Anne. It reminds me of being a little kid in the summertime, laying on my back in the grass and staring up at the stars in the night sky through the branches of the maple trees around our yard. Simple yet magical!

Finally, some handmade Maine wild blueberry goat milk soap from Meadowfly Farm! You can read their story on their website, and I think you'll really be touched by how they raise their goats. This isn't a mass-farming operation, it's small and personal!

What are you liking from Etsy and beyond these days for summer?