Every Day Matters Challenges

I did all of (well, most of!) the Every Day Matters Challenges a few years ago, but having seen both Emma and Jenna working their way through the list, I figured that starting from scratch wouldn't do me any harm at all, and would be an easy way for me to get back into the habit of daily drawing again.

So, without further ado, here is the first.

EDM #1 - Draw a shoe

A Croc.

Of course, now I'm looking at it on a computer screen, I can see LOADS wrong with it. Bah. Oh well. As I said, it's been a while, and I'll get better the more I do it (I hope!)


I have a love hate relationship with my crocs. Love because they're so easy to wear, they stay on without needing to be tied/strapped up, don't make me fall over just by being on my feet (happens with flats a LOT more than you'd think with me!) and because they appear to be indestructible. They don't care if they get muddy when I am gardening, or covered in paint when I am painting - and more importantly, nor do I. After all, how can you get precious about a pair of crocs? And yet I do. Get precious that is. In a way. I would hate if someone told me that I could never wear them again. I might even cry. Even though I hate them too. I remember the first time I laid eyes on a pair, announcing that they were the ugliest shoes ever. (and they were. This particular pair belonged to my very good friend Miffa (aka Emma), and were the most lurid, bright lime green you can imagine!) When I eventually got my own pair last spring - a good 6/7 years after seeing the green monstrosities (I was bored of having to put my wellies on to potter in the garden when it was dry and sunny. Because it was for a while last year believe it or not!), I swore I would never wear them out. And yet I bought another pair on holiday in Italy later in the year when my trusty converse had turned my feet into 2 ginormous blisters that just Would. Not. Heal. And they not only didn't aggravate the blisters, they allowed them to start healing at last. And ofc, I swore I would only wear *those* in the house as well. But I've sat here today drawing this one, and it just dawned on me that I've also worn them to pottery, and to the co-op down the road, and and and... I've probably even worn them to Waitrose *shockhorror*.
But I'm not ashamed. I wear them out in public. What of it?  I love my crocs.
Even if they are fugly ;)

I'm (im)patiently waiting for a delivery of canvasses to arrive from www.Greatart.co.uk at the moment, which will get me back painting again, although I won't be able to blog about what I'm doing until after two certain people decide to make an appearance, and have been given their very first piece of original art. Because their soon-to-be-mums might see it, and that'd ruin the surprise! So I'll try to keep you going with drawings for a bit instead ;)

Bookbinding - A first for me!

So, it occurred to me last night (a little late maybe, but hey ho!) that if I want to bind and send my sketchbook project book before the deadline - and I do, obviously!, I need to work out HOW to bind it :-/

I knew I wanted it coptic bound, and had made the front and back covers in such a way that only coptic binding would work. But I'd never done any coptic binding before, so this morning, I set about googling tutorials, and making up a 'practice' book. It was a LOT easier than I thought it was going to be, and once I'd got going, I did 90% of it without referring to the tutorial at all. This is the result....

Okay, so it is somewhat rough and ready (mostly because I used scraps and leftovers to make it from!), and I did have to change threads part way through as I'd underestimated how far it would go, but I am rather pleased with it, and so it appears is Morph.


I shall keep it, and use it as my next sketchbook, once the current one is full I think :)

I now feel much more confident about binding my sketchbook project book! But that is a job for tomorrow...