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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Happy Thanksgiving + Free downloadable holiday tags

November 28, 2019

Happy T-day to all my US friends!! Just a quick little hello today since I'm still working on K's Advent Calendar and tying up a few other fun projects. Today, K and I had a leisurely Thanksgiving brunch, strolled around Greenlake, and now we're getting ready to go out for our annual Taiwanese family dinner at this delicious restaurant. I have given up trying to be "normal" in any way, shape or form and love love love how stress-free our holidays have been these past few years. Also! I ... Read more

Filed in: download, illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 3 Comments

Happy Friday + A Flower Shower

April 6, 2018

Happy Friday! I've been painting a lot lately, experimenting with the many, many watercolor and gouache paints that I have. I'm in between big deadlines right now so I gave myself a break for the entire month of March to basically goof off. These illos aren't for any particular project and it's lovely to just aimlessly sketch. The plan was to simply read and sort of putz around for a month, but then - as per usual -- I found myself making a massive to-do list of sewing, home improvement and ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 2 Comments

Happy Friday + Making LINES

December 1, 2017

Happy Friday! Have you seen the latest Making issue, LINES? What a beaut! Carrie and team continue to slam dunk with gorgeous content, and I'm so honored that I was a contributor! Many things have changed in my life these last five years, and one of the most glorious changes is that I now get to collaborate and work with the loveliest, most amazing people all the time. I'm sad to say that wasn't usually the case for the 25+ jobs I've had in the past, though of course there were always a gem or ... Read more

Filed in: crafts, illustration, sewing, watercolor • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!!

November 23, 2017

Hello, hello! My goodness, has it really been so long since I last updated here? I just wanted to pop in to say "Happy Thanksgiving!!" I wish I could send you all flowers, but these watercolor blooms will have to do. I hope my mother-in-law isn't reading this because this is a card I painted for her that I just posted in the mail. It's been a whirlwind of a year full of HUGE events. So whirlwind, in fact, that I can't even wrap my head around all that's happened. The Japan trip changed my ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Friday + Upcoming Events

September 29, 2017

Happy Friday! I shared the beginning of my sea life doodles on Instagram a few days ago, and this is how I ended up filling up the sheet. Every so often, I pause and revel in the fact that this is my job - watercoloring is so fun!! These illos will get incorporated somehow into the next book, the final art of which is due in a month. I'm making slow but steady progress... So this means that I might be absent from here for long stretches again, especially since I'll be going on book tour for ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 2 Comments

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When my daughter was a baby, oh, nearly two decade When my daughter was a baby, oh, nearly two decades ago, I read roughly a zillion board books to her. My favorites were Lucy Cousins’ Maisy series, Taro Gomi’s and anything with food. It’s with not a little awe and delight that I am creating my own baby board books these days. I adore my sumo books (I especially love seeing them in libraries), and I’m giddy with anticipation for GOOD NIGHT, NINJAS. Eight more weeks till publication! Preorder link is in bio 😊📘🥷I keep dreaming that these sumo and ninja baby books will become well-thumbed and beloved storytime staples…if you’ve been in the trenches of reading to babes and toddlers, do you have a favorite board book?
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