It Looks Like a 3 Year Old Drew That!!

Gracie and I have been collaborating on a new and very silly artistic venture, lately.

I'm supposed to be a stressed out wreck at the moment, as we move very very soon (we got an apartment, by the way... yes!!), but in the last few days, I've been having too much fun to stress. There is too much laughter that comes with a new picture...

I have always wanted to take Gracie's beyond adorable scribbles and turn them into super cute illustrated works of art. I've finally done it, and I must say that I'm in love with them. It might just be a mother's love, but I wanted to share them anyway.

I love watching kids draw happy pictures. They always seem to smile, while they are drawing the happy faces. I taught art for 4th and 5th graders for four summers back when I was in college, and the kids were always so happy while they were drawing. I just love it!

Gracie's pictures are done with a Sharpie permanent black marker on drawing paper. When she is finished, she passes them over to me and starts a new one. "Here Mommy. You can color it in now." she says.

Sometimes, her pictures are... uncolorable. Like when she decides to smash polkadots all over the place or shower the picture in random lines. Hey -- no artist is perfect. Not even my three year old.

But she creates the perfect canvas for me! My illustrations are done right on top of hers, using Prismacolor colored pencils. The letters are scrapbooking rub-on transfers.

I'm planning on letting Gracie open up that Etsy shop she has been talking about for the last couple of months. A nice Mom and Daughter collaboration. I'm not calling it Strawberry Short, though. I already have everything needed for a shop called Tootsie and Grace (some of you might actually remember my shop before Elegant Snobbery was born). The funny thing is, my mom always called me Toots growing up. Granted, it was usually said like this: "Get your butt in here, Toots, and clean up your mess." Or "Hurry up, Toots. The car is halfway out the driveway" Stuff like that. I think Tootsie and Grace is appropriate.

I'm not expecting big things. We are just having a lot of fun. Hopefully, we can at least make someone smile from these bold, bright, and very cheerful happy faces.