The Magic Spectacles and Other Easy-to-Read Stories by Arnold Lobel

I'll end this week with these sweet illustrations from The Magic Spectacles and Other Easy-to-Read Stories by Lilian Moore, illustrated by Arnold Lobel (1965). The book is a collection of seven short stories for children which are accompanied by fantastic illustrations. There are 70 pages in the book that are dedicated to the following stories: The Magic Spectacles, The "Now Really" Time, Janey's Boss, The Pet That Benjy Wanted, The Silver Bird Express, Wait For a Windy Day, and Little Will. All of the images are a delight for the eyes but the owl with the glasses makes me smile ever time I look at it. Available here.

You can find out about more books by Arnold Lobel that I blogged previously here.

Have a great weekend! 

xoxo

Shivani

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DIY: Pipe Cleaner Animals

Wow!, now that's an out-of-the-box idea. Rachel Hinderliter has a blog called Line Across where she shares wonderful tutorials. One of the many such tutorials is how to make owls with pipe cleaners! This is an easy, quick and fun tutorial that you can make with your kids and watch them enjoy playing with them. 

Also check out her other tutorials on how to make pipe cleaner bunnies, chameleons, elephants, frogs, and birds. Links to the tutorials can be found on under the same link given above.

For this project you'll need:

- Pipe cleaners

- Googly eyes

- Scissors

- Glue

Pearl Bell Animal Plates

I am swooning over these plates by Pearl Bell who has a website where you'll find a wide range of tableware collection from animals to portraits of classy ladies on plates, cups and saucers. These plates from the animal collection will add quirkiness to the dinner table but because I have no heart to use cutlery on these, I'll instead use them to make a wall art. You?

Award Winning Artist Carter Goodrich

Carter Goodrich is a Los Angeles artist who creates illustrator for children's books, editorial illustrations for magazines and character designs for animated movies. He started his freelance career in 1983 in a shared studio space with his friend and fellow illustrator in the New York City. So far, he has designed seventeen covers for the New Yorker magazine and has worked as art director/character design for the popular movies like "Finding Nemo", "Monsters Inc.", "Shrek", "Open Season", "Despicable Me", "Brave" and more. For his work in the these movies he has been nominated and won  International Animated Film Society’s Annie Award for character design for "Ratatouille".  

The above shown are some of the characters that I picked out from his website to share with you all here. Visit his website to view more of his work, it's so cool to learn the creator behind some of my all time favorites.

Helen Dardik: Nesting Dolls

These lovely nesting wooden dolls 'Into the Woods' are designed by Canadian artist Helen Dardik for Psikouvanjo. Each doll is hand made from chinese hard wood and has colorful animal designs and graphic pattern that are hand painted which makes every set unique. Available here.

You can find her plate collection I blogged about  here.

Crochet Owl Phone Case and Patterns

Irene Strange makes sweet amigurumi crochet critters and designs patterns. Those of you who are yarn addicts can go to her online store where she sells her patterns and can make your own owl toy, owl ornaments, ladybird purse, goldfish purse etc, or if you like, you can simply order the pre-made products including that adorable owl phone case shown above from here.

Miss Bojambo

'Snow Owl' an amazing art print by California based artist Jamie Luoto also known as Miss Bojambo.

Annie Montgomerie's Textile Dolls

UK based textile and mixed media artist Annie Montgomerie makes unique handmade animal sculptures from upcycled fabrics including old linens, muslin, velvet and other vintage finds. The heads on the dolls/sculptures are made from hardened shredded muslin fabric which is firmly stitched on to a vintage doll body. The dolls are then dressed with old clothes, props are added and embroidered to finish.

"I love vintage children's illustration and animals and music so I try to combine this in my work." - from her facebook page.

owl's head made from shredded fabric

Fabric Collection by Donna Wilson

Donna Wilson's just recently launched her very first fabric collection "Forest and Friends". The collection features Donna's signature nature inspired motifs such as clouds, trees, owls and other woodland creatures. She was inspired to offer a range of fabrics to encourage people to be creative and make things at home. "Holding Hands", just like it's name, is the super sweet print that can be mixed and matched with other prints from the range like the "Footprints" (shown above). Make sure you stop by her website to see other designs from the collection because they are all so darling!

Owl Wall Hanging by Harem6

This new one-of-a-kind wall hanging featuring an owl and geometric shapes in beautiful colors is handmade by Harem6. I am in love with it! You can find more of their work that I blogged previously here.

Martin King

Both Ways

City Life

Study for Between Heaven & Earth – Barn Owl

Red Wattle Bird

Barn Owl

Galah

Rosella

Martin King an artist and a print-maker was born and raised in Melbourne. He has also lived and worked in France, Spain and Central Australia, and has taught at several locations such as Darwin and Canberra. I find his work with owls and birds very intriguing. The top piece "Both Ways" is created with the medium of etching, watercolor, encaustic on paper and drafting film. More of his amazing work can be viewed and purchased from The Art Vault.