Are you having trouble finding things to do with all the loofahs that your husband grew in the garden? I am, but I came up with this idea:

More sketches with a watercolor pencil. This time I never got around to using water, though.

I think I am starting to create a little village of animals in the woods.

I am playing with a pencil that was recommended by a couple of friends. Turns out I had one tucked in with my regular pencils. This is my first drawing and I think I like it.

Holiday greetings a little early!

If you are interested in purchasing note cards, mugs or tee shirts printed with my images, please visit my new store at www.cafepress.com/lizawoodruff

My feelings this morning are pretty much summed up in this illustration:

Does this goose look a little scary? I sometimes think they are when they waddle toward you while hissing. I think they could do some damage with those strong wings of theirs!

We have had a beautiful week in Vermont. The weather has only a hint of chill in the morning, the leaves are blazing and the sky is blue.

Here's a design/illustration project I am working on for the kids' school:

This is a rough idea for an identity for my design/illustration work. I am learning Adobe CS3 programs, so I am pretty excited when I figure out how to do simple things like this.

It's past Labor Day and school is in full swing. The kids are busy all day, so I now have no excuses. Here's what I am working on for the foreseeable future. It's a pretty fun project now that the ball is rolling.

It is wet and we're stuck inside, so I have broken out my needle felting again. Here are my two latest creations. I am naming the Siamese cat Kimmy after my parents cat that ate wool.
Ironic. . ?

Another version of the character for my book. I think he is getting very tired. . .

I am playing around with the computer. I created these drawings of Thomas and Edie with marker on paper. I then scanned them in and finished them with Photoshop. It was a fun way to experiment. Oh, and if you are wondering why they are each holding up a fist, it is to hold a bunch of balloons that I will add. I am using these for a summer at home reading incentive for the kids. For each book they read, they get a balloon sticker.

A little softer approach to the character for my latest book:

It is raining today, so we are cleaning and organizing inside. I finally got to scanning these photos of my grandparents that my mother gave me. One photo is of my grandfather on his pony, and the other is of my grandmother(in the middle) and her siblings. I love them because they are of my grandparents, of course, but also they are such beautiful old photographs.

Here are some things that you can find in my yard and garden:







beautiful Clematis
and flowering geranium






















Our bantam rooster, Cocorico
and Baptisia






















Our hen Tickleweed and me

I did this piece for a mailer announcing my updated website (not quite done yet) www.lizawoodruff.com. The image came from a sketch I did for the illustration Friday topic "multiples".

Hooray!! I just finished my work for a book of nursery rhymes. The book is British, and it is interesting to see how their nursery rhymes differ from ours. Two of the rhymes I had to illustrate are about children trying to harm animals. Hmmm. Not what I think of when I am trying to read something soothing to a young child.
Here's a spread from the book. It looks a bit piecemeal, but when the text is in there I think it will pass.

Did you notice something wrong with that last drawing?? I didn't until it was pointed out to me. Let me give you a hint: this boy would not make a very good dance partner.

See it now?! He had two left feet.

I am working with my old friends at the Horn Book on a little something.
Here's a peek:

We just returned from a wonderful visit to France. As a celebration of my mother-in-law's 70th birthday, the family got together in Dordogne. We spent a week together in a little town called St. Jean de Cole. We loved everything- the pastries, the chateaus, the countryside, the towns and cities, and the pace of life. Here a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.
Thomas is modeling a hat at a market in Brantome in the first picture.
The second photo is, of course, the Eiffel Tower.
The third photo is Tom,Edie, and Thomas walking along the Seine at night.

I was able to take this picture of my dog before she ran off. She hates the high pitched electronic noise it makes and so I am forever trying to get a nice picture of her. Her name is Ilse. She is a six year old Bernese Mountain Dog, and about as sweet and friendly as a dog can be. When she is not at the office with Tom, she hangs out at home with me.

More monkey business. With three days left until we leave for vacation, I am scrambling to finish my work. Here's a little preview:

Here's a sample I just finished for a potential client.

It has been a while since I have posted anything new. I have done a couple of Spanish readers and some black line work for workbooks. I am looking forward to working on a new job for Ladybug Magazine. Here's a page from a book I was calling Cesarin the cat. I am not sure what it really was called.

Edie and I were home sick with the stomach flu. I drew her while she was watching Fly Away Home. I realized that I have all kinds of posts about Edie and not too many about Thomas. Just to assure you that I am not neglecting him, I thought I should say that Edie has half day kindergarten and that we spend the afternoons together. Phew, got that off my chest!

I finished the art for an early reader in Spanish last week. Here are a couple of samples from Viaje de Primavera.

Happy New Year! After Edie got back from school, she wanted to look at the dolls that my mother gave her from her childhood collection. My mother (and her family) traveled and lived around the world with her father who was a colonel in the US Army. These dolls were from her own travels and gifts from friends and family. I decided to photograph some of our favorites to share.