How Do You Celebrate Canada Day

Celebrate Canada Day with a cool Beaver mug or t-shirt. The syymbol of the beaver has received official Canadian emblem status and is the animal that is on the Canadian nickel. I came up with this beaver design and thought they would look cool on products in my store. These items can be used or worn all year long! Great gift ideas too! Go Canada!

I've been working on some fun 'Soccer' designs. This little bear dressed in soccer gear, including cleats. Ready to kick the soccer ball.

Here's the little soccer star in red soccer gear and cleats. A fun birthday invitation to a sports or soccer party. Get the kids excited with this one!



If you are a Canadian like me, maybe you have some traditions or ways that you like to celebrate Canada Day. Well for myself and my husband Brian, we have been celebrating by going into Vancouver, a large city about 50 minutes from our place. They have a huge celebraton at Canada Place where there are all kinds of shows, events and music groups that perform, and yes it's free to watch. There is usually a great line-up of bands and entertainment that we enjoy! Just be sure you wear good walking shoes! (blisters are not fun) So to show some Canada spirit I thought I'd post a couple of my 'Canada designs' as well as a few other interesting designs I've been working on. Please stop by my store Designs by Shell To all you Canadians have a wonderful Canada Day! Cheers!

Holiday World

 The picture on the left is of my daughter, Suzanne, and her boyfriend, Adam. We met up with Adam's family at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana on hot and humid Saturday.  I don't know what the temperature ended up being, but geez it was uncomfortable.  Everybody and their mother decided that this particular theme park was the place to be on this particular weekend.  I have never experienced the Splashing Safari that crowded before. We normally have a real good time at Holiday World. I enjoy people watching, it's fun and it helps with writing stories.  I also like the thrill of a roller coaster and cooling off in the water on a hot day.  It's tough to do any of those things, however, when a person can hardly move because too many of their fellow human beings are wandering aimlessly around them, crowding and dripping sweat.  It's a good thing that visiting with Suzanne and clan was a pleasure because we had a long wait to get on a ride, get a drink at the oasis, go to the bathroom, and pay for a locker.  I was there six hours and went on two rides! But, I'm glad I went.  I got to visit with both my daughters (my daughter Janine came along too) and meet the people in Suzanne's life that are important to her.                                                                           

The crowd thinned out a bit and I took advantage of the space to take a picture. It looks like a typical day at the park, doesn't it?   

Colonial Garden Center

My daughter Janine (center) with two co-workers at Colonial Garden Center.  Working at Colonial (both last summer and this spring) has been a wonderful experience for her.  The people there are very friendly and she gets to be around all this beauty. Our youngest child loves plants and flowers;  hopes to one day have a career in Landscape Architecture.  Janine is known in our family for having an artistic eye.  We all ask her opinion when it comes to color and style whether that be cars, clothing, or gardening (we can't always afford her recommendations but I always like them). I suspect she inherited "the eye" from my mother and a few of my siblings. 

This is inside the main greenhouse at Colonial.  Working around these flowers makes Janine excited about landscaping.  She has to bargain with her dad about what she can and cannot plant because he likes to work outside as well.  If it were up to me, I'd say "go for it girl".  Working outside in Minnesota is okay, but here in Indiana it's just too hot in my opinion.

Not only can you get wonderful flowers, trees, and bushes at Colonial Garden Center, but you can buy rock, landscaping services, and other related items.  People that have lived in the Evansville area remember when Colonial was located on Green River Road.  They moved a few years ago to Newburgh just off the Lloyd Expressway on  Epworth.  Unfortunately for them not so long after they moved, it was decided that construction work needed to happen on the road right in front of their business.  Not good for a business just having moved to a new location especially when there is a road closed sign on the path people take to shop there. This would be tough for any business to tolerate for a few weeks.  Can you guess how long Colonial has had to put up with that construction?  Three years!  I don't know a lot about working on roads, but it seems to me it's not a lot of area to work on and I have to wonder what has made this project so complicated it's been going on for three years.

Recently Colonial had to lay off some workers to save money.  My daughter was one of them.  They hope to have her back in the fall when business picks up again.

Heard the Latest Buzz - Toy Story 3

Pardon the pun! My husband and I went out for dinner on Monday night and then to the Toy Story 3 movie. It's been many, many years since my boys were running through the house with Buzz and Woody saying "to infinity and beyond" or "there's a snake in my boot"! Sure brought back memories though. Maybe your thinking adults going to a childrens movie is kind of weird. This movie however had touch points for all ages. The young children of course relate easily, teens and older adults can relate as the story is about 'Andy' the main character heading off to college. He has to decide what to do with all his old toys that he's grown out of. As I love to draw animal characters and cartoonish images I found this movie quite inspiring. So above you'll see the cute bears that I've been creating the last couple of days, for products in my store. Hope you enjoy them and if you'd like to see more come by Designs by Shell for a visit!

Have You Found Your Element

My latest childrens birthday invitation. Floppy eared bunnies accent this fun card.

Say thanks with these cute baby hippo thank you cards.

Sophisticated green stripe wedding reply card.

Soft blue, simple yet elegant wedding reply cards! Perfect to add in with a wedding invitation.

Ken Robinson, Ph.D in his book 'the Element' says "the element is the place where the things that we love to do and the things we are good at come together." Just let that sink in for a moment... Ken also says "never underestimate that vital importance of finding early in life the work that for you is play." I just love those words! I can definitely say that creating designs, thinking up new ideas and coming up with new drawings for my store is work that is play for me. If you need a little push or are just looking for some inspiration I recommend you read 'the Element'. It really gets you motivated and thinking creatively. Above you'll find a few of my newest creations from Designs by Shell Come on by for a visit!

Writing

Today I made progress on writing Murder on Sprinkle Lake.  I have to say it was a lot of fun, too, because I had three critiques in front of me to look at.  I like trying to figure out the best way to write something -- it's fun to see what others think too.  I tell ya, my critique buddies are incredible.  I hope they get something from me too. I always feel like I receive so much more than I give.

Someone asked about advice for beginning writers.  I haven't been published, but I do have an opinion on the matter.  Here it is:  1) The first and second time through don't worry at all about punctuation or grammar-- just let the story spill out and see what happens.  2) Have a bunch of  different types of people critique your work . 3) look at all the feedback when fixing. 4)go to conferences and book festivals to learn from other published authors and professionals in the field. 5) read a lot in the genre you're writing in and 6) never, ever give up!

The MidSouth conference in Nashville is approaching.  I can't wait to attend! Im all registered and everything. The Regional Advisor had much patience with me -- I really messed up filling out my application. We got things straightened out and in the course of talking I learned she wrote a book (not published yet) that is set in Newburgh-- the very town I live in.  Cool. Look forward to buying her book in the future.

Thoughtful Gifts for Father's Day

All of these items can be purchased at Designs by Shell Some you'll find under the Father's Day Category and some under the Animal Category.

Does dad have a good sense of humour?! Perhaps he'd appreciate this fun owl t-shirt with this funny saying. Even bird watcher's might like this one.

How about a fun fishing cap for dad or grandpa. A neat gift idea, add a few fishing lures or a book about fishing and you're set.


Maybe your dads a golfer. This cool golf t-shirt could be a fun t-shirt to add to his collection. Add a package of his favourite golf balls to top it off.


Wouldn't a dad love to be the 'official cupcake tester' at home. This fun t-shirt would make a great Father's Day gift. Give it to him with a 1/2 dozen fancy cupcakes that you baked yourself.

Well June is the month that we celebrate our dear dads! I thought I'd share a few creative gift ideas that might make 'dad' smile. I know some folks like to buy expensive gifts but in this economy many people have no choice but to cut back on the expensive stuff this year. A thoughtful gift like a unique t-shirt or a funny mug can still be a nice way to show dad appreciation. Here are a few fun ideas from my store Designs by Shell

Our Memosa Tree

Aren't these blooms lovely?  This beautiful Memosa tree is in our back yard overlooking the pond. Memosa's attract hummingbirds and grow real well in this part of the country (southern Indiana).  They have the most unique soft looking yet spikey blooms I've ever seen.  I suspect there are people wandering out in California with hair modeled after this flower.

We stand under this tree all summer long to feed the fish, turtles, and ducks that swim by--mostly fish.  Last summer our neighbors bought some white ducks with big fluffy tail feathers.  They were pretty cute and hung out on the pond close to our house.  We'd feed them. My daughter encouraged them to come near to the house so she could sit on the step by our back door when she threw bread crumbs.   They'd come on land and in close until something spooked them; it was the funniest thing ever to see them run back to the water.   Talk about waddling!

 It's amazing how fast these trees grow!  We just planted them as small saplings a few years ago and 'poof' now they're regualr trees.  Sort of like kids I guess...

Sadly the two white ducks do not hang out on our pond anymore.  Their quack is louder than the other ducks and more nasal sounding.  I hear that quack every now and then on a different pond so they're still around.

David Beem and family

I finally figured out how to post this picture!  David, Cary, and son Max Beem met us at Borders a few weeks ago.  Nice, nice people...  Very talented cellists--both of them.  In fact, David was the principal cellist in the Evansville Philharmonic for a number of years.  You can read more about his background if you click on his picture under followers on this blog.

I came to know them because our daughter, Suzanne, has an interest in the cello and was fortunate to have David as an instructor.  The Beems have since moved to northern Indiana where Max was born and David bravely stepped into the wonderful world of writing.  He has written an adult Novel called The Abyss of Chaos and I can honestly tell you it's good because I read it myself.  I feel very fortunate to have David as a critique partner.  He critiqued half my Murder on Sprinkle Lake for me and his remarks were very helpful.  Sometimes I think people feel critiquing means criticizing.  David's not about telling me everything I do wrong. He was great about explaining what he found interesting or funny too.     After all, how can we repeat what we do right if we never hear what it is?  There is always something right...  His experience as a muscian and teacher gave him exposure to critiquing.  He feels, and I agree, that if critiquing is done poorly it can be hurtful and not very helpful.  I look up to him and am very confident he will succeed at anything he decides to tackle!

David is not the only one that critiques my work.  Of course I have my husband and other family members (when they have time) read stuff, but also the people in the SCBWI Evansville Critique Group led by Christie Atherton.  Talented writers (and one illustrator) in that group!  I love to use my imagination and express emotion through writing and am grateful to all of them for their help.  I find writing difficult, but that's part of the fun.  Nevertheless, we writers have to have thick skin.  Most people get plenty of rejections, spend a lot of time alone, and don't make very much money.  Gotta love the process to keep at it!

My Latest Jungle Animal Characters

All of these items can be purchased at
Designs by Shell Under the Animal Category





Lately, I've been totally into drawing the cutest jungle animals. So you guessed it, this last week I've been creating baby tigers, little roaring lions,funny monkeys and zebras. It's interesting how these animal characters take shape. Sometimes I'm not even sure how I come up with their looks but I just started drawing and these fun little animals come to life on the tablet. So do you have a favourite, let me know?! It's way too much fun creating and designing! So above you'll see a few of my designs, to see more pop by my store and browse around. You'll find mugs, stickers, magnets, t-shirts, invitations and more with these cool animal designs!
Designs by Shell