A scrubby tree and a cubist puppy
Dear Sarah - Day 136 of our daily drawing exchange
May 16, 2025
Hi Nikki,
Thought I had both kids today, but it turned out only Kianna had a Pro D day. Seemed like a good day to do something I had promised to do: make her (and her bro) a stuffy. Why? I don't know. She has a LOT of stuffies, but wanted a handmade one, I guess? I still have a cat that my mother made for me. She chose a design called a Shiba Cube Puppy, which is supposed to be a Shiba Inu, but in a cube form. Once we had the design, I discovered that I had no appropriately soft fabric, so off the Fabricland we went. Orange and black for her (not Halloween, Nana--a tiger!) and red and black for her brother (his fave colours).
When we got home, I realized that the cube is quite small--maybe four inches square--which means the sewing will be very fiddly. And take much longer than the time I had with Kianna. I'll be sewing over the weekend (and swearing, no doubt, as I try to zig-zag stitch around an eye that is less than an inch in diameter). But who knows, maybe the kids will treasure their handmade Shiba puppies the way I treasure my old black cat..
Here's a drawing (from the online pattern) of a slightly crazed Shiba Cube with a Dali-esque mouth.
Hope you were able to climb today.
XO S
Hi Sarah -
This little tree (maybe 2’ tall and delicate) was growing in a crack near the bottom of a very large, solid cliff. It always amazes me to see how tenacious these seedlings are and how unlikely it is that they will survive and thrive. Perhaps, given the harsh conditions where this decided to take root, this is a hundred years old and a natural form of bonsai.
The weather was mostly cooperative - overcast, a few sprinkles, but nothing dramatic. So, yes, we did get out to climb - and even I with my artificial hips managed to get up a couple of things. It was fun to be outside with friends - when I wasn’t belaying I read one of my books on psychogeography and enjoyed the fresh air, spells of semi-sunshine, and sketching a scrawny tree.
When you get the plush cube puppy birthed, I’d love to see a photo.
Until tomorrow -
Nikki