Oh, hello there. Yes, it's been a while. I've missed you too. What have I been doing? The usual. Say, have I told you about my new favorite book? NO? Well, then. I'd like to introduce to BOLIVAR, by Sean Rubin. I don't want to say too much because I knew nothing about it until I tripped across it in my elementary school library, and what a pleasure it was to discover. Almost like discovering the world's last living dinosaur ;) Trust me...check it out!

As if it isn't difficult enough to stay out of the library at the school where I work, I had to contend with the book fair all last week. Yes, I bought my share. The one I find myself most enthralled with though is a thin little paperback entitled THE WATER PRINCESS. I was drawn to the cover after listening to stories of a friend of mine's daughter, who is in the Peace Corp teaching in The Gambia (she gets a bucket of water a day... to do whatever she wants: cook, bathe, drink- hopefully not in

The SCBWI Fall Conference began on Saturday and ended on Sunday. I, however, am still riding the high. It has been very hard to come back to earth after floating in such a creative universe. So here, tonight, I just want to put in print the names of a few people who I suspect will keep me flying for some time... Venessa Brantely-Newton, Matt de la Pena, Angela Hawkins, Luke Flowers, Dustin Retch, Dan Sorenson, Dow Phumirik, Kaz Windness, Stan Yan, oh gosh and so many more! Thank you all! Writing

True. I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks. But it's Monday night and I'm back. Getting ready for the Fall Letters and Lines SCBWI conference has kept me busy. Lots of drawing and printing and redrawing and reprinting. This evening's offering is an option for my portfolio's cover page.   ... this is hard. It's been a tragic day. Dark and rainy in CO but even darker in Vegas. Can't go on blabbing about drawings when so many hearts are breaking. "Love is in need of love today."

One of my own illustrations for a change! I labored a good part of the day on this one, but it was a labor of love.

The Hobbit, Battle of Five Armies is playing in the background as I compose this blog entry. Only moments ago Smaug soared over the rooftops of Laketown, setting the whole place afire! Me, in my head: It's fine that the whole town is burning, it probably stinks anyway and they can all live in Dale when it's over. But what if someone's manuscript is in their house? YIKES!  Then I assured myself that the residents all had enough time to gather their children and important bits before boarding

Time to get serious. The fall SCBWI conference is coming up and my laundry list of things to accomplish before attending is ever growing. I thought I'd pick off an easy one this weekend. I was headed to Staples to pick up a copy order for school and thought "Hey, they do business cards, right?" They do. And though this will not be a rant about less than acceptable workmanship it is a cautionary tale. The above photo shows a small selection of the botched batch. Smudges, mis-cuts... what? Must be

This coming weekend I will be attending a book/paper fair with a friend and fellow book making enthusiast. (That makes us sound so upitty...we're not...we just like fancy paper and stuff...and books.) To get prepared I spent a small portion of my day scrolling through handmade books on the inter webs. The little ditty above is just a taste of the huge creative world out there. I CAN"T WAIT for Saturday so I can pick them up and sniff them!

Now you've seen him. Wouldn't you like to know more? Hope so.