Bad Weather? We've got just the ticket!

Here in Vancouver it's been raining quite a bit lately but don't let it get you down! After you're done splishing and splooshing around in the puddles for the day and and before turning into one yourself , get ready for some 'serious' creative time with our Mask Colouring Book! Colour to your hearts delight and turn into a cat, a lion a train conductor, a princess, a dog, a fairy and tons of other fun characters! It even comes with elastics, so that once you've coloured your mask all you have to do is cut it out and you're ready to play! What does a train conductor do all day? Now you'll be able to find out! Rain? What rain?

Then and Now...

On my recent trip to Germany where I grew up, I visited a friend of mine who I hadn't seen since we were both about 12 years old. It was a really great experience and even though we only had a few hours together we got along as if I hadn't left at all. Funny how friendships can be that way, frozen in time until you pick them back up somewhere someplace. She now has the sweetest little two year old boy.  I of course brought a few presents along one of them being this Colouring Postcard Booklet. She laughed when she saw it and showed me a friendship book of hers from way back when, where I had drawn a couple of horses for her. 'You still draw exactly like you used to!" she said and laughed. I really could almost not believe how much the same the drawings were. Down to the love of putting dots on horses. Still in tact.  I guess some things never change. That made me really happy.

Away on Holiday & Valentines!

I will be taking a short creative refueling leave from the shop, and so any orders you place online between Jan.31st-Feb.13th will be shipped promptly after the 14th of February. There might even be a little extra surprise in your order :)
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Speaking of the 14th of February... here is a sneak peak at our selection of Valentines this year around. They won't be available online, however if you're here in Vancouver they are already ready for you to pick up at some of our awesome retailers such as The Window Community Shop, Dilly Dally Kids, Bird on A Wire as well as our brand new retailers Brick & Mortar in New Westminster and Proper Topper in Washington DC for all of our US friends! Go and pick one up for that special someone!...you know who:)

Winter Time & What's A Good Drawing?

It's winter time here at Draw Me A Lion headquarters and I mostly sit in my studio with my trusty and fuzzy studio assistant thinking up new projects and ideas for the upcoming year.

One thing I always make sure of with all of the things I design for my line is that they can't be too perfect if you know what I mean. I always pay attention to keep that handmade feel, especially in my drawings. It's important for me that someone can look at a drawing and have it be fun to look at, in a way that makes them go..."Oh, maybe I could do that..." and then take it from there. When a drawing is too complicated and detailed this doesn't happen as easily.

I think the thing that stops so many people, especially adults from drawing, is this whole idea of the drawing needing to be 'good', ... and usually what they really mean by that is that their drawing needs to look as realistic as possible. For example, if you draw a chair and it looks exactly like a chair then it's a 'good' drawing. I however think just the opposite. To me what makes a drawing of a chair good is if it looks totally different than any old chair that I could just snap a quick picture of with my phone. Who needs a drawing of a chair that actually looks like a chair? Boring I say!  Give me a drawing of a chair that has wings, or a chair that can move and run around with a person, or a drawing of a chair with a hat, or a face, or with wheels, or with totally crazy wild colours or anything else you can imagine. Because I think THAT'S really what drawing is all about.. Imagination. Try is sometime won't you?

Here is a photo of me, of my studio assistant taking a nap and a drawing I did of me in my studio. If you want to  see more of me in my studio you can watch this short movie here that was made in warmer times not that long ago.  

Creativity Can Help

A Word About The Recent Elementary School Shooting in Connecticut

I have been wondering how best to address the recent shooting at the Elementary School in Connecticut. It is such a great tragedy and at first glance seems so out of place to talk about on this blog and yet I don't think it is our of place, because it deals with children and with sorrow.  My heart goes out to all the innocent children and teachers who lost their life's that day, as well as to all the surviving children and teachers who are still with us. What do we do in times like these? How do we cope with all the emotions and thoughts we have? I am a strong believer that art and creative projects can play a big role in helping us make it through hard patches in life and help us recover from traumatic experiences.

With so much tragedy in the world I have made Draw Me A Lion my mission to focus on the positive things in life. And even though many problems are permanent and can't be solved Creativity can be of help in overcoming the harder obstacles in life. Even sorrow.


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The Crayon & Watercolour Repel Technique

Here is a drawing I made between ages 6-8. Me and my mom did lots of crafts together. This was one of my favs. The crayon & Watercolour repel technique. For a nice wintery scene like this one, draw with a white crayon a winter wonderland. Then go over everything with with blue watercolour. The crayon will repel your watercolour and your picture will look great! After the watercolour dries you can add some extra touches like these houses here with coloured pencil.

Two Holiday Markets Left & A Stolen Bike Trailer

I've been loving all the fantastic fairs we're part of this year. They have been a real pleasure, even last weekend when I noticed 1 hour before I had to be at our venue that our bike trailer got stolen right from my porch (locked up two times) it turned out to be a fun day in the end. After an initial freak out of how to get all of our wares to the fair a fantastic friend drove me there on short notice and armed with our business credit card went and bought us a new one so that by the time the fair was over a new trailer was already at my house awaiting to be used the next day. It's so great to have good friends! Now if the credit card could just magically pay itself off everything would be perfect of course. Nevertheless we did really well at all fairs so far and I'm having a really great time meeting so many new people who are all so enthusiastic about the Draw Me A Lion line. You guys are the best!

If you haven't come to visit us as a market this season make it be this weekend because these are our last two fairs before the Holidays! Come and get one of our market priced deals to put in your stockings this year! BLIM Market on Saturday & The Great Canadian Craft Fair on Sunday. Ho ho ho!

Print Mix Up!

OUR MISTAKE! :( 
WE MIXED UP SOME PRINTS & WE'RE SORRY! 

Did you buy either of these two long format prints this Friday and Saturday at TOQUE or this Saturday at GOT CRAFT? 
If so, please check to make sure that you received the right one! 

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A few accidentally got put in the wrong tubes in the hustle and bustle and we big time apologize for that. If you have received the wrong print please get in touch via phone or email. 

We'll be sure to mail you the correct print immediately and of course you get to keep the one you already have.

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Thanks so much for understanding! 
So sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. 
All my best,

Lisa