Dragon in the mountain watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Little Stories – Small Finishes

Dragon in the mountain watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Little Stories are posts where I share odds and ends from my life and my atelier.  Since I missed making posts in October and November, I will share two Little Stories back to back.   While I am working on large projects, I like to keep a few small projects handy.   When I need a break, I switch over to the small ones.  Specially when I am stuck on a project, taking a break and going back to it after a while helps me see it from a new perspective.  Before we continue with the adventures of The Girl And Her Cat, let me share a few small finishes with you.

 

 

A “little” decision

 

I have a small announcement to make.   Last month, I have officially closed my Etsy shop.  With all the recent seller policy changes over at Etsy, I felt like I was losing my identity as an artist there.

Ever since I opened my shop here at the website in 2020, you gave me the confidence to make this decision with your continuing support and purchases from my shop here.

Most importantly, I can keep in touch with you more directly.  I always enjoy the interaction that I have with you here. 

So, from now on, this is the only place where I will sell my quilt patterns, cards, prints and journals.  Thank you so much for continuing to purchase from my shop here.  It means a lot to me.

 

 

A little warmth

 

Thea Colman hat @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

I really like Thea Colman’s knitting patterns at Ravelry.  They are beautiful and very well written.  This one looks intricate but it is an extremely easy cable pattern to follow.  I made this one with extra long ribbing, so my husband’s ears will be covered completely and keep him warm when we travel to cold places in winter months, which is something we do often. 

The yarn came from Shropshire.  We were meandering around the small villages there when I happened to spot a small yarn shop.  I was looking for some English wool. The lady at the shop was so helpful.  With her help I got three skeins of this 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool, reared, sheared and spun in Yorkshire.  The yarn is wonderful to knit with and softened as I knitted with it.

The combination of the pattern and the yarn made for such an enjoyable knit, and the smile on my husband’s face made it extra special. 

 

 

A little drawing

 

Sierra Cabin @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Last December, we were visiting one of my favourite places in the Sierra mountains.  I wasn’t in much of a mood for gallivanting around the mountainside this time.   I saw a tree outside the cabin window with its wild-looking trunk and branches.  It was so peaceful to sit by the window-side and a warm fire, sipping hot chocolate and drawing the time away.

 

 

California Tree @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I probably will paint this one day as part of a landscape, but for now it is a finished drawing in my sketchbook.

 

 

Little bookmarks

 

Little watercolour bookmarks @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Specially since I started book making, the amount of scrap paper I have lying about has increased.  They are too small for any significant project, but not small enough that I can toss them in the recycling bin without feeling guilty.   I use them for playing with colours.   Recently I started making little 1″ x 4″ mini bookmarks out of them.  The four botanical ones went to their new homes.  I have the flying birds at home now.  They are all painted using Van Gogh watercolour on leftover papers from the pocket journals available in my shop.

 

 

A little Girl and Her Cat

 

 I have of course also been painting in my little 3″ x 4″ blue books.  Here are some more of the adventures of The Girl And Her Cat from the Wandering Pages book.  Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

 

 

 

Wandering Pages has all the paintings that I have shared from this little book so far.

 

 

Do you also work on small projects alongside large ones?  Or are you a one-project-at-a-time kind of person?  

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

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Little Stories – Escape

Quill feather bookmark @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

I seriously needed to turn off the world and get away from it all.  Find some comfort in the little things.  I worked in the garden while listening to the trees swishing in the morning breeze, my favourite way to wake up.   I painted a bookmark and revisited my Simple365 photos of things that make me happy.  Let me share these little stories with you in the hope of bringing some joy to your world as well.

 

Early last year in February I started taking daily photos of simple, everyday things.   This set was taken during the last half of May.   I didn’t leave the house,  so the photos are of my everyday surroundings around the house, garden and my atelier where I spent most of my days.

 

 

Simple 365 – Set 6

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos and read the captions.

 

 

 

I also created a page with all the previously shared photos from Simple365.  I will add more photos to that page as well, as I share them here.

 

 

A little tradition

 

Simple365 photo from Peak District Derbyshire England @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

When we travel abroad, my husband sends me a postcard from that place.  That way I have something in the mail after I come home.  I rotate these postcards on my desk.   My little desk friend loves to pose in front of them.

 

 

A little joy from the garden

 

Growing Japanese Indigo @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

 

 Japanese Indigo loves hot weather.   I mistakenly sowed some seeds at the worst time of the year, in autumn.    They were indoors in their little nursery for the longest time until I couldn’t keep them there any longer.  Unfortunately, I had to replant them in large pots right around winter.  We tucked them in at night under big shrouds, and used my husband’s halogen task lights to keep them warm.

 

 

 

Growing Japanese Indigo @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

They not only made it through the winter, but are now blooming with the most beautiful tiny little flowers.   I love it when plants survive and thrive.  Do you talk to your plants?  I quite often pet them and talk to them.

 

 

A quill story

 

Quill feather bookmark @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

However, even the garden work came to a sudden halt.   A few weeks back, it was quite abysmal outside due to the bad air from the wildfires.  By that Friday, I hadn’t seen a natural sky for days, only a smoke-filled grey-red sky.  My eyes kept burning, and only stopped when we filtered the air in the house.  All this from fires that were not even very close to us.

I decided to close the windows so I didn’t have to see the outside,  sat tight inside and worked on making a bookmark out of a scrap piece of paper.

 

 

 

Quill feather bookmark @ inktorrents.com by Soma

 

I have collected quite a few ink bottles and writing instruments from our travels to medieval castles and abbeys.  I transported myself into a place where a scribe is working by candlelight.

 

Art can be such a wonderful balm, and it really helped that day when I was so emotionally exhausted.  Working on this bookmark while listening to one of my favourite audiobooks was just perfect.

 

I feel much more refreshed and ready to take on the world once again.   The air around us has cleared, and I can go outside and play/work in the garden again.  Little stories that make everyday special.

 

I hope this provided you some escape from the everyday and made you smile.   I would love to know which photo is your favourite.

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

 

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