Oh December...

... and I still haven't managed to get all presents for Christmas. I guess we'll do last minute packing with awfulsome help of the cats who tend to be more or less pretty unhelpful.

I had some strange weeks. A lot of stuff's going on at work and though I thought the end of the year would be totally relaxing... it's not. Dang. I always wonder why this year was/is so strange.


But... things to look forward: January will be a month I like. I already know... since the Nürnberg board game fair is coming up and I busted my booty for it and I hope people will love the games. Ha!

Winter does something strange to me: I turn into a soup monster. I think I cooked 7 different soups in the last 7 days and I'm still not fed up with... soup. Gods, I love these. So many options. Having somebody at home who mostly eats everything (except the really wonky tests- Azuki beans... we both hate you) helps a lot.

Don't think I can post something without the cats. Today's weird cat picture....

Why do cats like freshly used sport clothes so much? Tretel's love for sweaty clothes is simply disgusting but since Hantje turns into a purring jellyblob when she finds a stinkin' shirt I can't point fingers at him. It's weird. Seriously. Our dog loved to roll around in cow patties and the cats crawl into the sports bag stinking like rotten eggs (thermal water- it smells strongly like sulfur). Sometimes I have no idea if I should be offended or laughing.

 Aaaand a new mug motive with Kulla. Didn't forget my little bunny girl. Especially since she'll turn 10 next year. Already. Oh noes.

You can find the illustration here on Deviantart if you want to have a closer look. I'm a bit depressed I still haven't done the fourth book but at least one children's book will be out next year... even if it's not for Tokyopop. And not even in Germany. Well, not really depressed about that part but I promise more bunny illustrations next year.

Cute galore!

*click for bigger image*
Next to finishing pages, 2 board games and keeping up with social life (I am still surpirse I keep that one steady... wow) AND normal work I prepared some things for the Animaco in Berlin.
I got my proof prints yesterday and realized these went horribly wrong with a flipped backside. Lew said she wouldn't mind but I mind a lot and less than perfect is not on my Wanted list.

Everything's already in pre-sale since I have no problem with first come, first serve. If I end up having three mugs and only buttons left... oh well, it will be fun anyway.

If you are still looking for cute christmas gifts read the journal entry HERE.

*drooling* Fan-Plush Kulla

That is SO FREAKING cool! I love the plush (and already asked for one I can have XD). The girl who made it can be found here. Isn't Kulla cute? Isn't she???? Aww.... *drooling at the screen*

first auction phase is over & keeping short

... it was epic. I know the last minutes of an ebay auction are the most exciting but this rocked so much. I'm already looking forward to phase 2 and the final phase in 9 days.
I'm a bit very proud my illustrations did so well. And I hope the last two will do equally good.

The last two items can be found here and here. Both look much better in real life O_o

Since April's already rushing to the final days I decided to finish my new story. I really wanted to keep short but it's quite impossible. If you're used to 6 panels and have blank pages again it's like "I can write as much as I want".
And I already fear the point where my editor takes the red marker and erases all those funny little details I spend so much time on. Doh...
Anyways, I want to start getting my canvases out again, mess around with colors and mix my basic colors in jars. We collected so many, they scream for being used.

And I really started missing the fine texture of linen canvas and the feeling of scrubbing the color into it with a Morani brush. Nothing's better than finally getting a color right and having the final illustration finished. It's different from digital art and quite addictive and yes, I still worship acrylics.

Steamplotting

Something (just a small part of the rest) I've been working on for... felt ages. There are 10 more graphics to do and I'm like "omg, omg, omg!!!". So exciting.
Once again I'm surprised how good you can work with people you barely know. Eduardo for example. He lives in Portugal and I have never seen him. But telepathically ideas are pinging from my head to his and back and so on and it's fun to work with his Studio. Even late at night, quizzing new ideas.

Since most of the time it's like "Let's see if the customer will like it" this is really relaxing.


This is a rough sketch for a wedding card (for Tobi and Mags who will celebrate in summer). The whole card is HUGE (a complete train...) and I have to finish on monday. Anyways, my second personal card for a couple and I guess not the last one. Making those cards is nice. You get to know the couple (a bit at least) and you know: Those won't buy the standard cards. Hurray!

Third book -so pink :D

Plush Invasion

The right one arrived today... squished into my post box... but everything okay. I was so happy >_< Isn´t it cute? The left one was a gift I got at the big deviantArt Meeting in Berlin... it´s so fuzzy :3


This one is still in the box. See the awesome work here. I can´t even describe how fine and beautiful the thing is in real. One reason why I HAD to order some glass doors for the next cup-board. Would be a shame if a cat (or nephew) destroyed it @_@


The artist and a bigger image can be found here. Irene was so nice to send it to me and I was like "oh my gawd.. .she works so neat" (I don´t... and I would never paint on paper... but she did and it is great!). I still need a frame for it but I couldn´t find any fitting one in Ikea which means this week I have to look at the normal photo store. I so much want to put it on my "Wall of Fame"

I still need to send out the books for the contest. Why I haven´t done it? Because one was missing. I don´t even have one left... all gone. No idea why... so I had to order two. The books will leave on Friday. @_@

Contest & Books

a little happy b-day contest like every year. this time only on deviantart.
The entry about it can be found here:
Contest

Good luck!

*omigosh... bouncing around*
I just found three new books I totally wanna read (and of course those will take AGES to arrive... hello three very long weeks).

This is... so far my top one of the three:

"After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince."

If you know "Grimms Manga" and enjoyed the twisted stories this might be enjoyable as well... There have been a lot of "modern interpretations" of the old fairy tales (some good, most bad but all too weird to be forgotten (by me)), I hope this one is better than the last I read. I just hope so... I really do.

5 years Tokyopop

...and the last will be released this year as well. Wee!
... 2 years for me :)
Book-signing in Germany till April:

"Manga, made in Germany"
@hugo - Jugendmedienetage in der Hugo-Heimann-Bibliothek
Vernissage: Mo 2.3.09, 13.30-15.30 Uhr
Artists:
Anne Pätzke
Marie Sann
Inga Steinmetz
Natalie Wormsbecher
there will be second day with book-signings but I can´t find the date o_o;

Leipziger Buchmesse 2009 (book-fair Leipzig)
2 appointments on Saturday (14th of March). The final time wasn´t offically released yet.

more events:
Animagic (summer, Bonn)
Connichi (autumn, Kassel) together with Mirjam

acrylics again...

priming flowers... pink mix on green underground doesn´t really work without.


I should stop abusing my not so cheap Bodum cups as water mug >_>;

work at night

last year, around midnight
acrylics, canvas and lotsa coffee

corridor

due to massive shortage of space in my living room (and workspace) i had to put the canvas of my second book on the walls @_@ it´s strange. I am not a fan of things on my wall but there was no other possibilty.

I´m already dithering about the other 40 canvases... oh my.

Tubby sketch

Kulla and the gossip birds

colors

hello leaves...


mixing colors can be a real pain =_= I found dozens of green shades but not the one I really needed. I hope the mix won´t dry out before I am finished with all illustrations. Raaaaaahh!


hello colors. You mess up my workspace, you know that?