April calendar

I am working a lot these days, but when I get eager emails of enthusiastic readers saying they would PAY for a new calendar, I know it is time I get back to it. If you want to pay for my stuff, please get my book, it's printed on very good paper, precut, ergonomic, and a pleasure to play with ;)

Until then, a free calendar for you to enjoy!

Je travaille comme une folle ces jours-ci, mais quand je reçois des emails de lecteurs prêts à payer pour accéder à un nouveau calendrier, je sais qu'il est temps que je prenne quelques minutes pour vous...Le voilà, tout frais, tout beau, et livré a temps pour en profiter tout le mois.

J'ai cru comprendre qu'un nouveau livre allait bientôt sortir en France, je vous tiens au courant!

Usage perso seulement, des bises!

I you are going to San Francisco...

Don't forget your rose colored glasses.

At YakiniQ café, a pure delight of a café for the crafty girl with a sweet tooth.

Finir le dessin, finir le dessin...Oui, mais si tu veux, gris, là, ça va pas le faire.  

Dots and dots

Depending on where you are on this planet : happy Sunday, or a sunny Monday to you!

Selon où vous êtes sur cette jolie planète : bon dimanche, ou un doux lundi ( au soleil, de préférence).

Photoshop granny brushes

Photoshop brushes can be fun...and even silly. 

I wondered if I could make a granny crochet brush and came out with this : it's a fun set of brushes with color changing grannies and a fun border. It has very little use, but a lot of stamina.

You can download it here : Granny brushes by del4yo (Photoshop only) unzip, install. Have fun.

No commercial use, thanks!

Je me suis souvent demandée si c'était possible de faire un set de brosses Photoshop spécial pour une couverture au crochet...Donc j'ai fini par le faire. Le résultat est un set de brosses totalement inutile, dont les carrés ne sont jamais de la même couleur, avec bordure assortie. De quoi faire une couverture en 30 secondes au lieu de trente ans, comme je fais d'habitude. Quoi??

Vous pouvez telecharger le set ici : Granny brushes by del4yo (Photoshop seulement) unzip, installez, amusez-vous bien.

Pas d'utilisation commerciale sans mon avis préalable, pas de redistribution, merci!

Shelf portrait ( portrait on a shelf)

Look Maman, it's you as a fox! Did you draw yourself as a fox?

What makes you think it's me, darling boy?

The iPad...and the scarf.

It's not the pajamas, the slouchy attitude, or the mess.  That boy is either very clever or loves me very much. Maybe even both.

Oh Maman regarde, c'est toi en renarde, dis? Je ne reponds pas que je sais ce que je dessine, ce serait malpoli, et ensuite j'ai l'habitude. Après tout c'est un peu magique un dessin: parfois ça a une vie propre. Pour moi je dessinais une maman qui bosse a la maison, un peu tranquille, pas forcement votre humble servante . 

Je m'enquiers "Et qu'est-ce qui te fait dire que c'est moi?"
Je suis un peu inquiète : qu'est ce qui me ressemble le plusdans ce dessin? Serait-ce l'échafaudage de couches de vêtements mous très californien, le chantier ou l'attitude vautrée de fin de matiné de travail ? Plus je me concentre, plus ma colonne vertébrale s'amollit. C'est mathématique et inévitable.

"L'iPad, et puis l'écharpe"

Bravo fiston.

Soit tu es très fin, soit tu es vraiment gentil avec ta Maman. Je penche pour les deux...

Serendipity (about My Town)

My son was often with me while I was finishing "My Town".
He was going to preschool only 2 or 3 days a week, staying with me the rest of the time.

It's a choice we've made, a fine balance between a full working mom and a stay at home mom.
We enjoy our time together tremendously.

Bibu was really interested in the process of making "My Town".
He created his own models, would grab my prototypes as soon as finished (I made them twice, one for him, one for me) , and played with them for hours.
The idea of the garage model is his, and he was paid for it in brownie bites and Legos (for real).

I would spend most of my time with him when he was home, but sometimes I would work a bit while he was busy with his toy cars. He likes to play on my desk while I work and I cherish these quiet times.

I remember a busy Thursday : I was a bit in a hurry, trying to get hold of my fancy new camera before lunch time. And it was not going at all as I wanted.
I finally was about to take the picture when... 

A little hand and a car appeared in the viewfinder! Bibu thought something was missing in the shoot and trying to help. I kindly explained I felt my houses were perfectly fine without any Hot Wheels ™ addition, and since he didn't agree, I suggested I made my photo shoot and then organized his very own.

So he went for his prototypes, waited patiently (hum), then carefully created his idea of "My Town" on the set :

I helped him with the camera...Et voilà: Bibu's very own photo shoot (at 4 and a half!)

To Bibu's point of view, it was exactly what he wanted out of the book.
Lunch hour was past due , but my photos were done and his too. We ended up at a Dinners nearby eating grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries because it was too late for cooking and we felt like celebrating.

Watching the shot with Bibu, it gave me the idea to add a map with roads  at the end of the book, so you can use the little houses as a scenery for toy cars if you fancy it...

Totally nails it, right?

Find "My town" at Amazon here

Note:My town was translated from French and certainly not by me, Delphine, because my English is not good enough!