A Dog-Doodle for National Dog Day! Sorry Suffragists!

One should note that it's also Women's Equality Day today as well as 'National Dog Day'. But I didn't have any drawings of women exercising their right to vote. I'm sorry suffragists, I will try hard next year to do right by you (and me)! I really will!

What I do have, however is a dog-doodle. No, not dog-doo, a doodle of a dog. Something I did a long time ago, but which I'm posting now on this most auspicious of days.

And here below is a picture of my favorite dog currently living, Mr. Pickles, my parents' shih tzu. He looks quite dubious in this picture, but than again he's usually a pretty suspicious fellow. Happy National Dog Day... and Happy Women's Equality Day. I'm not sure if it's insulting or not that National Dog Day is also Women's Equality Day. I will just chalk it up to every day of the year having multiple holidays, some serious and some just fun. I hope you have enjoyed both you loyal companions and also your right to vote.

What do you do when an item won't sell?: The Woeful Tale of Snargle the Nightmare Snatcher Journal

        No matter what a mother tells you about loving all of her children equally and without reserve, you know she has a favorite, right? You probably also think you're that favorite, but only your mother really knows for sure (pssst... it's probably your younger sister). Well, I'm going to put it right out there, Snargle has always been my favorite. He was in the very first round of Nightmare Snatcher journals I ever designed and I liked the little monster so much that I put him aside before the RISD alumni sale (my first craft show), lest someone feel the same and buy him out form under me.

Snargle in his first incarnation and then his second incarnation with a fluffier fur.

        Of course at that time I did not realize I would be making monster books for a decade thereafter and maybe had I known that, I would have taken the chance at the money instead... but I digress. Though Snargle has always been my favorite, the poor little blighter has not always been the favorite of my buyers, which any mother knows can be quite upsetting. How can my little sweetie not be as universally loved as he should be? Was it the white fur? Perhaps it was because of the difficulty I was having photographing  a white furry book on a white background? Looking back, my photoshopping was appalling. (geez, look at the photo below! Did I have a Wacom tablet then?) I should be ashamed... Was it the five eyes? Such a peculiar amount for a creature makes Snargle more special, doesn't it? Or maybe it was simply that with such an adorable little face, Snargle was just too sweet to be a monster.

I'm sorry Snargle! I don't know what happened!

        I never quite understood why other people didn't love Snargle as well as I did, but the reason for my own favoritism is hard to pinpoint itself. I think in essence, Snargle looks innocent to me. Those 5 shiny little eyes seem to look up to me for approval. When other Nightmare Snatcher journals were flying off the shelves, I felt as though Snargle would look at me for a sign that it would soon be his turn to find a home, and it broke my heart to have to put him away in a cupboard for he would not be sold today or most days. I began to also have trouble finding sources for good white fur. As you can see from the pictures there were 3 different white furs and the last one, pictured just above, I was really not a fan of. For all these reasons despite my personal feelings, I decided to stop producing Snargle and have not made a Snargle in a very long time.

        I know that my Nightmare Snatcher journals are objects, books made from various supplies and put together according to a pattern. I know this because I designed the patterns and I put each piece of them together myself. However, when something has a face it just becomes alive to me, even when I'm the one who made it. It has a personality and maybe even a soul, to me at least. And that's why, despite his history of heartache I have brought Snargle back, with a fresh new look of course! I don't care if he isn't the most popular monster on the block, he's my favorite and I want the world to see him. I want him to have a place to shine! Cue the theme song from 'Babe' please, this one's for you Snargle:

♪ ♫ If I had words to make a day for you, I'd sing a morning golden & true... ♪ ♫

        And in case you were wondering, my very first *NEW* Snargle has already found a loving home less than 2 weeks after listing him! As with all the new Nightmare Snatchers he is sporting many new features and is available in my Etsy shop that you can see in the pictures below.

Somebody's getting married, today!

...okay, not today, but soon. And I made some save the dates and everything. Just like a real grownup who is responsible enough to let her guests know in advance so they can plan accordingly. Of course I sent the Save the Dates out kind of late, but let's no talk about that. Let's just bask in the glow of my responsible-ness.

The back of the Save the Date postcard as I started inking it in.

The front sketch half finished.

Sketching progress!

Back of postcard complete with fake destination.

Completed Save the Date!

...and there's the gnome.