Hi. Remember me?

Hello?  Is anybody still there?

It's been a really long time since I've posted here.  I just wanted to give a little update and let you all know what's going on.  In the summer, not long after I posted last, I was contacted by a man whose kids I used to babysit.  He was a young men's leader in my ward while I was a teenager.  His name is Tim Brown.  He's one of those guys you never forget, and his family is one of those families you never forget.  They are GREAT people.  And they were my favorite family to babysit for because his kids loved art and we'd spend most of our time trying to draw Disney characters together.

Have you ever been to the Utah State Fair and seen the Butter Cows?  His wife sculpts those.  Of his seven kids he has painters, sculptors, graphic designers, and even a fashion designer.  They are a creative family to say the least.  However, they don't have any illustrators.  That's where I come in.

Now, you may or may not know that I try to stay away from doing professional projects.  My first priority is to my family.  I have special needs kids who need extra attention and help.  I don't like to work against deadlines because then I have to start telling my kids that I can't pay attention to them or spend time with them because I've got to get this thing done for somebody else who is infinitely less important to me than they are. It can also get really stressful for me.  I like to have a flexible schedule so that when (not if) there is an emergency with one of my kids I can drop whatever I'm doing to take care of it.  I can't always do that when I'm working for someone else.  It just doesn't work.  So, professional work is just not something I do.

That having been said, when Tim contacted me and told me he wanted to talk to me about an illustration project, I was ready to say no.  But, I met with him and his wife anyway.  He told me about a game that his family used to play around the dinner table called "What If." They would take turns presenting a "What If" scenario and the others were only allowed to agree and build on what they imagined.  They had a great time and often were even able to solve family problems that way.  It's a fun idea.  Tim is a talented writer.  And the first story he read to me was really cute.  As I listened to him, I also tried to listen to my Heavenly Father, and I felt like this is a project I should do.

Long story short, I've spent the last 6 months illustrating the first book in the "What If" book series.  I've learned a lot and done a lot of things I've never done before.  I even learned (kind of) how to use a new computer program!  I've been really blessed.  And I don't have any idea why, but I know that Heavenly Father wants me to be working on this project.  I've been able to take care of my family just fine.  Don't look at my house though. It's a mess.  And I haven't put anything here or in my Etsy shop either.  I feel bad to have neglected you all.  I really enjoy getting your emails and comments with ideas for new projects, and I love to give away my kits to you.  I'm not a person who enjoys a lot of attention, but I enjoy the one on one interaction I get with all of you and I love hearing that the little drawings I do while sitting on my couch in front of the TV have been able to help you all somehow.

I don't think it probably matters much to many of you.  I don't imagine any of you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for me to post a new freebie or add a kit to my shop.  But if you are, I wanted to let you know not to give up on me.  I'm still here and I'll still be posting freebies and kits in the future when ever I can.  I'll also start doing drawings for the new Come Follow Me curriculum.  Just that right now, I'm busy illustrating some books.  I'd love for you to check them out on Amazon or on the "What If" book series website.  Because the author has self published the books he's paid for them all out of pocket and I don't have any to give away. I would appreciate you taking a minute to check out the website though.  WhatIfBookSeries.com  and if you buy a book there you can use the coupon code WHATIF15 to get 15% off.  Or, if you prefer Amazon you can go there.  There's even a kindle edition there for just a few dollars.  I'd appreciate it even more if you'd leave a review.

I hope you've all had great holidays and that you'll have an even better New Year!  Thanks for supporting me!