BLOBS #15 RESULTS

HAPPY FRIDAY!  Thanks for checking in and I hope your week has been super.  It flew for me...so quickly that I actually could not locate my finished BLOBS sheet last night.  Crumbs.  What happens now.  Do I spend the time looking for it or just do new ones (in that time)?   Forgetting where something was placed, stuff getting lost...HAPPENS in households.  I decided to give it another try and threw some together.  Yes, I said it...threw work together and am now sharing those imperfections publicly.  Could they use another round of editing - heck yeah.  Is it a little painful to share?  YES!  But, we need rough drafts to get anywhere, right?  SO IMPERFECT IS ABSOLUTELY OK.  Too many times we get caught up in having to do/say/act - perfectly.   When coming up with concepts or ideas.. that word cannot exist.  Your ideas (and creative confidence) to produce "WHAT IF's" will sink in a snap if perfect or "right" is the expectation.  Are we trying to create the greatest drawings in the world here? No way.  BLOBS are about sketching, having fun and sharing...not caring about what others think.  So, enjoy the glimpses of story possibilities and I hope you find inspiration today.  

And almost forgot...my redo's included a character change because of the lunar eclipse this week. If you didn't see it, you can find pic's HERE.  Maybe losing my BLOBS was a good thing?  I got the idea for a cool future background out of it...!

Kid Character Creator: Anna (age 7), Elliot (age 9)

ANNA's BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: THE SHARK, SQUIRREL FELL IN WATER, ELEPHANT LIKE PIG, GUINEA PIG PLAYGROUND

ELLIOT's BLOBS

MY BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FURRY CREATURE, CAMEL WEARING FANCY FROCK, DOUBLE STEMMED WALKING PUMPKIN (lunar eclipse makes it come alive!), LONG LEGGED TURTLE

And here's the latest sneak peak at what's been cooking on the card line...I'm celebrating my first 10 BLOB worksheets with a line of Thank You cards.  These will be inserted (filled with words of GREAT THANKS) in my Halloween Card purchase packages.  If you still need Halloween Kid Cards, order HERE!

BLOBS #15

Fall is kicking in and we may be pulling heavier coats out tomorrow!  Boo hoo, but, with that chill comes cozy fires in the fireplace, butternut squash soup and our favorite of all favorites, hot cocoa.  There was even a request for Egg Nog already!  Lots to look forward to.

Thanks for stoppin' by today and reading the latest.  A new BLOBS sheet can be found HERE, but first a peek at my line of Halloween Cards!  They are ready to sit pretty in a store somewhere or, better yet,  a happy child's hands!  Drop me a line if you are interested at amy@amynielander.com.

BLOBS #14 RESULTS

It is Friday and definitely my favorite day of the week.  What is yours?  Its been a little on the crazy side with my Etsy Shop now official and learning my way through it.  Click HERE to see it. I would love if you helped spread the word :)  Drop me a line and let me know what you think too!

And for our results...

Kid Character Creator: Anna (age 7), Elliot (age 9)

ANNA's BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: HEADSTAND STATIC HAIR GIRL, A SQUARE MONSTER, A GIRL STANDING ON THE SWING (I think she has some pretty great hair too), BIG MOSQUITO BITE LEG

You may notice a theme going on between last weeks and this weeks on Anna's.  If you haven't checked in, you can take a peek by scrolling down.  Current events have definitely influenced her designs.  She has had a couple big mosquito bites with these warmer evenings (nothing serious), and they've been bothering her.  This is another good reason to have your child CREATE A CHARACTER!  It may shed some light on what is on his/her mind.  Especially when they don't feel like sharing details about their day - clues could pop up in artwork.  Try it with them next week and let me know how it works! 

ELLIOT's BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: HANDSHAKE MAN, KID NEEDING HELP...and the last two I didn't get much info on since it was time to get ready for school.

MY's BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:  COWBOY KID, FAIRY LADY, LONG LEGGED HAIR BEAR, BATKID

I had a little fun with Bat Kid.  So here's a progression of where he was and how he finished...

What led me to his creation was the notch in the BLOB.   It reminded me of a bat.  Since it was parallel to the ground, then it had to be flapping/flying back: Bat Kid must be running.  I veered off the outline to get the rest of his body to work, but that's the great thing about using BLOBS.  They inspire an idea just enough to get a vision, then you have the license to do whatever you want, with or without the outline.  No rules here.  Just to MAKE SOMETHING FUN!  Have a Batastic weekend!

BLOBS #14

Hello Monday and wondering if we're the only ones with Halloween fever?  I know October is just a couple days away, but in our household we need to ask the costume question good and early.  Usually it requires some kind of custom fit...check out my facebook page (scroll down to the way way bottom of this page for the link) and see what construction job I began this weekend for my daughter.  Maybe you'll recognize the character?  Share and like as you please :)  I'll need words of encouragement to see this chunky project through.   I'll post the progress as October rolls on! 

Preview the new set of BLOBS ready for doodling on below.  Click HERE for your page!

BLOBS #13 RESULTS

Happy Friday and hope you had a great week.  It went by so quickly for me I had nothing to share for results day the time I normally get posts together.  I even considered skipping it...would zero designs go unnoticed?  Do I dare find out?  This was my dilemma while my comfy pillow called me... 

But, I decided to give it a go.  And once I sat down one thing led to another, to another and all tiredness fell right out of me.  Poof.  It was really as simple as that.  Mind engaged, I finished.  Do they make sense?  Not really.  Are they fun?  That's up to YOU, but they kept me up long enough to create this post! 

Kid Character Creator: Anna (age 7)

ANNA's BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SAFETY (wonder who inspired that one?), SNAIL, BIG MOSQUITO BITE KID, DUCK

MY BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: HELPFUL STAPLE REMOVER MAN WITH KEYBOARD CLEANING BRUSH HEAD, TEEN LIONESS WITH SUPER SNAZZY MANE, KID CAR (which turned into a rocket when i added a background later), TATTLING WHALE TELLING ON MAN STUCK ON STRANDED ISLAND

Hope you enjoyed and have a fun weekend!

BLOBS #13

The weekend is over and I've been working on exciting new product just for HALLOWEEN!  I can't wait to share -  so stay tuned.  As for BLOB MONDAY...get ready to roll with this week's shapes.  Try them out when your stuck on something, bored or just need a break from your routine.  Then - let me know how they worked for you!  Download your sheet HERE.

BLOBS #12 RESULTS

Good morning everyone - Hope you all are doing well!  I am posting via satellite, since our internet is down.  Being surrounded by fresh bagels and coffee isn't too bad though.  Hope YOU all had a great week!  SO, here we are with today's results. 

   Kid Character Creators: Anna (age 7), Elliot (Age 9)

ANNA's BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SOMEONE DRINKING LEMONADE, DANCING PIONEER, HOCKEY COACH, NO BURPING MAN

ELLIOT'S BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: WHALE, NICE T-REX, SCHOOL PICTURE DAY, ONION BREATH MAN

MY BLOBS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT (warning: a little bizarre) YOGA BEAR, DOUBLE HUMPED TORTOISE BASKING IN THE SUNSHINE, MAN WHO ENJOYS SWIMMING, WRESTLING AND RUGGED BALLET AT THE SAME TIME, BIRD WHO PREFERS RUNNING TO FLYING AND ALSO LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE THE JOKER FROM BATMAN (I think its the giant red beak). 

That's it for FRIDAY!  These were fun, even tried experimenting with my chalk tool which  is not the norm for me.  Hope you laughed, kind of laughed or grinned.  If I'm lucky, you were lifted in some small way.  Have a super weekend and I'll be back on MONDAY! 

BLOBS #12

It's BLOB Monday and I am shaped out!  Just made a new sheet and thought I'd share a mini, behind the scenes look at how BLOBS come together, usually - on a Sunday night.  After lots of loose, fast sketching, I narrow shapes down.  Here's what I ended up scanning...

...then its outlining with Adobe Illustrator. 

Do I ever "see" my character when tightening shapes up?  No.  I keep cleaning and pushing a silhouette until I like the final BLOB itself.  It must have good proportions (to me), fun movement and face a general direction...Could it be a front, side or back view (always super important with any design - be it a product, vehicle or...character)?  Lately, I've been increasing the number of "cuts" I make to one shape.  Going from one, to many.  Then it's all up to YOU, the final designer.  What could sprout from this crop?  Click HERE and let the fun begin!

BLOBS #11 RESULTS

Guest Artist: Patricia, The Babysitter

   Kid Character Creator: Anna (age 7)

Happy Friday everyone - it is a gorgeous day outside and I hope the sun is shining for you as well. I am thrilled to share this week's results since we have another guest artist, Patricia, our babysitter. Last night she came over to watch the kids and participated in some character creating of her own.  We absolutely adore Patricia because she is so imaginative, coming up with fun activities each time she visits.  Her expertise is endless.  I'm not sure what could be a better indicator of a super babysitter than when your kids stick themselves to the window, waiting for their arrival. Thank you Patricia for being a BLOBBER this week!  And here we go, Anna & Patricia's creations...

ANNA: Clockwise from left, THREE LILLY PADS GOT STUCK TOGETHER, A PRETTY HARP, A BROKEN SWORD, A KID THAT SWALLOWED A CONE

PATRICA: Clockwise from left,  EGG MAN (inspired by Humpty Dumpty),  VUG UNDER THE RUG (inspired by Dr. Seuss's "There's A Wocket in My Pocket"), HALLOWEEN GHOST, CONSTRUCTION CONE GOING TO A PARTY

Medium Used:  Crayons & pencil

Favorite Children's Book Character (Patricia): Daisy-Head Mayzie, from "Daisy-Head Mayzie" by Dr. Seuss

A BIG THANK YOU again to our artists this week!  Check back in on Monday for Batch #12! 

BLOBS #11

Happy Monday!  Hope the sun was out for you this weekend.  We enjoyed spending some time outdoors. 

My blobbing is complete and Set #11 is ready to download.  What kind of characters can YOU make out?  Throw down your first ideas and see where they lead you!  Maybe a story, maybe a cool BLOB you can send to your grandma, or better yet - one you can share HERE!  The first set of designs sent to me will be posted FRIDAY, along with my own. Thanks for stoppin' by!  Click HERE to get your sheet.