Time for a fun Craft

Sometimes during the holidays there are those days that the weather is really not that great outdoors.
When that time comes, and the holidays are close at hand, it is fun to make these great little angel decorations.

They don't need to be angels, they can be snowmen, or cookie cutter people or critters.

Here is the recipe for CLAY DOUGH you can bake. If you cannot see it clearly, click on it to enlarge the image.

Sometimes if your dough gets too dry, just wet  your own hands a little bit and knead the dough some more to soften it.  I keep it covered while I work.  Using a damp paper towel works well.

These are fun to make and can be hung on a Christmas tree or in a window.

Two new books from 4RV

I am delighted to say that two new books I illustrated have been released by 4RV Publishing, LLC.

The continued adventures of Dilly the Pickle loving rat, by Rena Jones is a heartwarming and humorous romp through an alphabet of possible new friends.  His final choice will lead him right into a new story I am sure.


Another new book, Sammy the Shivering Snowblower, really hit home with me.  Living in the northern New England area we are used to snow and having any kind of help removing the mountains of the white stuff is key to getting where you want to go.  Sammy's story is written beautifully by Mike McNair. He has a flair for humor and pairs that with a genuine care for feelings that we all share.

My basic problem was finding just the right kind of representation for Sammy.  The final cover shows poor Sammy shivering away in the snow. I ended up using our own snowblower as a model of sorts *:)

Both of these books are available on the 4RV Publishing site.  There is a sale going on until Dec. 5.

More News about Gunther *:)

A visit to Sunshine Smile Publications will feature an announcement about my first book as both author and illustrator.

The article is just one of the ways that Sunshine Smile supports artists, authors, and agents.  Stop by and see all they have to offer.

Many Thanks for your kind words *:)

I wanted to take some time to thank all who post here for their kind words and encouragement.  The past 7 years have been very busy for me.  I left my day job, moved to northern New England with my husband and have been illustrating books full time since then.   In that time I have met many wonderful artists, designers, and friends through the internet and in our new community.

Seeing your posts and comments is very heartwarming to me as I strive to perfect the craft of creating meaningful illustrations for children's books.  I want to thank all who follow this blog and all those who find me on facebook, twitter, and Linked In.   Sometimes, things get a bit busy and I don't have too  much time to post, but when I can I enjoy sharing what I do.

Hopefully I will have more surprises to offer in the way of children's books and illustrations.  If your vocation is making art, it is a life long event *:)

Car magnet

I am also riding around with one of these car magnets on each side of my car.  I have no idea what people will think, but I am hoping someone will be interested enough to take a closer look. When they are retired from my car, they will go on our fridge *:)

Launching Gunther the Underwater Elephant

I made some take away cards for book festivals and other events where I can promote my new book.

The cards are 6 x 4 and printed with a UV coating on both sides, since I didn't need to write anything on them.

This is the front... the cover view.

These will show up here and there *:)  This is the backside of the card including the publisher contact and the ISBN.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ HIBERNATE

©Ginger Nielson

Just as the last leaves fall,  a mother bear leads her cubs to the den she has carefully chosen.

Winter is coming and the reluctant cubs are nudged gently to their safe haven.

This new layout I used earlier is an experiment. I may want to change to it at some point but not just yet.  I wanted to keep my link lists, and be able to change the background color. Those elements are not available for the newer template design. Hopefully blogger will address that issue in the near future.