animals

Sleigh

| Gina Lento

What’s better than a sleigh with 8 reindeer? A sleigh with 8 cats! Santa’s annual run was over. He’s looking forward to a long rest. This year was stressful. The reindeer went AWOL so Santa had to use the barn cats. The elves all got sick. There was a blizzard over most of North America. He found out he’s gluten intolerant and can’t eat most cookies anymore. He did discover oat milk and the kids have been leaving out almond milk and coconut milk instead of cow’s milk so he felt much better this year.

It’s time to feed the cats a nice juicy meal for helping him out. He checked in the elves who seem to be feeling better. The local ranger found the reindeer scarfing up hay at a local dairy barn and is returning them in the morning. Time for a glass of wine and a book by the fire. But he may decide to watch the Mandalorian instead.

And today’s stamp.

Horse

| Gina Lento

Today’s prompt is ‘horse.” I trained Lucy to carry a wreath instead of her flowers. I also made an handmade ornament out of her that looks really cute on the tree.

And today’s carving….

Skates

| Gina Lento

Ellie dreams of being an Olympic figure skater. She practices every day and loves skating in the snow. The creek near her house freezes over in the winter and it is her favorite place to skate. She and her friends create a rink and a track on the frozen creek and they do pretend Olympic Winter Games all season long. Winter is fun where Ellie lives.

Today’s carved stamp is an abstract design and I carved it without a sketch. I drew in pencil right on the stamp.

NarwHal and friend

| Gina Lento

These two friends have been companions for a long time. They help each other and watch out for each other. Although they are different species, they have learned to live together in harmony. They share that beautiful mysterious place called the Ocean.

Below is also today’s carved stamp. I carved this one randomly. I like it because it almost looks like it fell off a fir.

Puffin

| Gina Lento

This prompt was easy because I made a pamphlet book for my grandkids a few years ago that was about Arctic animals, puffins being one of them. I have not shown this book outside the family so this is the first time that I can remember actually posting one of the illustrations on my blog and social media. The book has a wintery Arctic feel to it and I really enjoyed doing this book. I should probably pull the entire book into Procreate and update it submit it to publishers. I did it to create awareness of the animals that would be negatively impacted by a warming planet.

Today’s stamp is also included below. It’s a stylized poinsettia. New blades came from Amazon which made a significant improvement in my cutting skills, LOL.

Absence

| Gina Lento

Absence 

You were the last thing

we wanted

You came to us

on a warm summer evening

Tiny and sick

dark as the night

We took you in

and you grew on us

You thought you were

a chihuahua

You ingratiated yourself

into our hearts

Soft and silky

svelte and lanky

A queen in your own right

Gardening with your company

Birds and mice brought

into the house 

There were those times

we pulled our hair out

You ate almost  

 a whole cake

But we loved you

You went to Florida 

with Erin

a companion and

a friend 

We enjoyed your company

during lockdown

Then one tragic day

you fell ill

No vet could save you

You were only five

We didn’t want you 

to go

But we had to let you

We feel your loss

every day.

Little Witch (on the side)

| Gina Lento

I did work a little on my little witch series while doing the “TheyDrawtober Challenge.” The food challenge took up more time than expected, and I wound up doing that challenge on Procreate and as you can see from last month’s posts.

In the meantime, monsters, witches and other beasties were sidelined. I have been debating on posting them in November, or holding off on them for now. Although it isn’t October, it is still before Thanksgiving, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post a few fall themed sketches and maybe a monster here or there. There will be time enough for holiday posts after Thanksgiving.

Those of you who follow my Little Witch series might remember that Cleopatra (aka Kitty) passed away last year of an unknown neurological event right before Inktober. We were all grief stricken and it was hard for me to put a kitty in the series last year.

This year, there are two new grandkitties that my daughter adopted. Plus my son also has a diabolical kitty that I could add so kitties will be making a comeback. Cleo was found by my husband and I and was the family kitty even though she came here to Florida with my daughter. We all still miss Cleo.

So back to the story….

The Litttle Witch made some caramel apples. She put one out to have as a snack, and to see how they taste before packaging them up as gifts. However, the Dragonet and Toffee, the muted tortie kitty, have other ideas.

This sketch was done on Arches text wove paper in my refillable Innovative Journal . It’s black leather with skull beads. Really cool!