Blogger frustration

Sooo I had created this lovely list of blogs that I really liked to watch, and now I cant seem to find them anywhere. Where did they go? :( I have looked and refreshed my reading list over and over again, still no luck or any record that I have actually been following these blogs. I am not sure if this is a glitch or if I have to go back through and re-follow all the blogs I was following before? Either way... this is frustrating! Maybe I just dont know how to navigate around the new layout, I dont know.
If anyone has any solutions on how to get my list back, let me know! I miss it :P

Chrysanthemum

Here is the completed picture that I posted about! I used some new patterns this time, and after lots of experimentation with colours I like this one best. Here is what it looked like:

And this is what it looks like completed!

I really enjoyed working with this one, I had so many great colour options so it was fun to experiment with all of them! I had found a bunch of new patterns too, so I had to try every one out.... xD Project save for camera is starting this month, and I have all these awesome discontinued patterns turned pillows at home, so hopefully soon I will have an awesome camera to take photos of them! (ok ok, i know i don't need a great camera to shoot them, its just an excuse that is making me feel better about it)

Now I am going to go read my new book and enjoy the fact that I am NOT outside in this yucky weather. Have a great week!

Chrysanthemum [WIP]

While browsing through some illustrations earlier on today, I was reminded of the direction that I had originally wanted to go in through school, but didn't because I felt pushed in a different direction. The way I have been drawing up until now requires very minimal to no reference at all-- which is nice sometimes, but what I really want to do is use reference! I love just looking at something and drawing it rather than pulling it out of my mind... it is one of the things I have missed in my life for a while now. I feel like through school I relied to heavily on reference so I just stopped all together. I think I need to get over that and accept the fact that maybe reference is good for things I am not particularly strong at! So I am going to try this way-- a more realistic rather than cartoony line drawing. I have been looking at cameras recently (DSLR to be specific!) and I am really excited about how I can pair photography with my illustration! The thought of taking my own reference pictures is really exciting!! What isn't exciting is the price of these things, but I will worry about that when it comes time to purchase one. :P

As for this picture in specific, I kept seeing photos of really pretty Chrysanthemum flowers, and thought it would be lovely to incorporate into an illustration. I plan on doing more to it later, but I thought I would just add this now to prove that I am indeed still here! :P

This is the picture that I first saw while browsing, so I hope it is indeed a Chrysanthemum flower, either way it is a beautiful photo and a beautiful flower~ 

http://ceriaz.deviantart.com/art/Why-is-a-flower-44610659

^That photo belongs to that page :)

Hope to add the completed work soon!