BRB

I'm going here until the end of the month. I hope to come back relaxed, with a tan and full of freckles. Of course, I'm taking my cameras and sketchbooks with me. See you soon!

Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta puttanesca is my current food obsession, I swear I could eat this everyday. I simply put good virgin olive oil in a big pan, add the minced garlic, chilies, chopped olives and anchovies and cook them for a little while. Then I add the capers and halved cherry tomatoes, sometimes a splash of white wine, and when it's done, the oregano and the fresh basil. I add the cooked pasta, toss it all together with grated cheese and pepper and then, I eat. Bliss!

This reminds me I forgot to draw the chilies :)

Puzzle Page

Last year I made these test illustrations for a new feature in American Girl Magazine called "Puzzle Page". They weren't selected in the end, but it was lots of fun to design these games, as well as the hand-drawn type and having the chance to use ink and watercolors.

Dinner time

A new illustration I recently did while daydreaming of a nice bowl of squash soup. Sadly, it's already too hot in Madrid for that kind of meal, and the idea of spending hours in the kitchen in front of the stove is simply dreadful. So, now I'm looking for simple and fresh recipes that take little time and effort to cook. Do you have any suggestions for cool food sites? These are some of my favorites:

- Foodily, Tastespotting and Foodgawker for quickly searching recipes.
- Orangette and The Wednesday Chef for the good writing (and of course recipes!)
- They draw and cook and Lobstersquad for the cool illustrations.
- For overall inspiration, Nectar, Spicy Icecream, Joy the Baker, Smitten Kitchen, No recipes... and many more!

The sea

A couple of weeks ago I visited my hometown and snapped these pictures while taking a long walk on the seaside, breathing the fresh air and resting my eyes on the endless horizon. I just got the film developed and scanned, and they made me a bit homesick. They remind me how much I miss the sea in Madrid, but someday I'll live by the sea again.

Poppy

Just having fun with textures and patterns, thinking on some orange poppies I saw last week. Anyway, I hope you all have a fun weekend!

Fair isle sweater

Yesterday I gave this Fair Isle yoke sweater to my friend Jimena. Back in November she asked me if I could knit her a sweater, and after choosing the yarns, the design for the yoke, and many hours knitting, the sweater was done. I think it's the most beautiful thing I've knit so far, and I really wanted to keep it for myself. But just seeing how well it fit her, and how much she liked it, made me the happiest girl ever. Now, I should make one for myself :)

Oh! If you're interested on the pattern, I didn't use any, just followed a "recipe" by Elizabeth Zimmermann. You can see more details on my Ravelry account, I'm juliabe there as well.

Screenprint contest

I recently made this illustration for a screenprinted bag design contest that's being held at Ravelry, the online community for knitters and crocheters. Wish me luck (or vote for me if you're on Ravelry)! But I'm also thinking that, with a few tweaks, it would make a nice Gocco print or tote bag :D