My Art World ֞

Regarding the Giveaway

2011-11-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

For those (I believe it may only have been three people?) who shared my giveaway here, I just wanted to say thanks. Because of the lack of entries, I decided to do the entire giveaway on my facebook fan page instead. I will try to more in the future, but they will probably only be done on my facebook page for now. Simply because it's a bit easier to figure out who has entered and to comment and whatnot. Sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully my next giveaway will be much more exciting and fun. :D

Time for a Giveaway!!!!

2011-11-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Finally got this together! Still wish I had more time and energy to put more into it but for now, this will have to settle as my first official giveaway. :D One of the sets is going to be given away here and the other on my facebook fan page.

Okay, first off, The Rules:

There aren't many. Mostly, just that the same person can't win both prizes. That would hardly seem fair. Second, that you must like my facebook page or be a follower of my blog. Third, that you must advertise the giveaway in a post somehow with the link shared on this post. This can be via your blog, just a status on facebook, through your fanpage, whatever. As long as you spread the word about the giveaway and post the link here or on my facebook fan page post, you're entered. :D
All of my giveaways probably won't follow these same rules but I figured as my first giveaway, I'd make it a sort of promotional thing. ;D I also plan on doing more giveaways when I reach some of the 100 follower marks (100 likes, 500, etc.) so the more people who like my page, the more possibilities of a giveaway! :D You can enter via both my blog and facebook page for double the chance to win.

Second, the prizes! :D

Each set comes with a brand new, signed (by both me, the author - Tabitha Grace Smith- and Jack and Machu) copy of both Jack the Kitten is Very Brave, and Machu the Cat is Very Hungry. Also included is a special signed 'Color me Silly' zine created by me with some coloring pages of some of my line work. These are my first zine's and are probably going to be seriously limited edition until I hopefully get to create some more. :D (I think it's between 12 to 14 pages long.) Additionaly, I have created two sets of necklace items. Each set is unique to either Jack or Machu so in one set, there is a Jack oriented (blue) thread spool necklace with an accompanying bell as well as envelopes with kitten related items. The second set is for Machu which is pretty much the same items, only in his 'color' (red). So you're getting at least $50 worth of one of a kind prizes. :D

The contest will run for two weeks. So starting today and ending November 16th, midnight my time, which is Eastern Time (USA). So any entries from now until midnight November 16th will be entered. Any posts after that are disqualified. I will probably use a randomizer to pick the winners. I think that's about it.

Ready...set...go! :D

Edit: This is open to anyone and everywhere, regardless of area. This may change for future giveaways, depending on cost and shipping issues, but for this giveaway, everyone is welcome to enter. :D

A bunch of stuff crammed into one post.

2011-10-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

I think the title says it all. LoL! Our internet has been having issues so posting hasn't been too easy lately. What we get for living in a rural area I suppose. Anyway, Just a few new things I wanted to share. First of all, my books have arrived! :D Now just need to start getting everything together for my giveaway.

Then, probably a month ago I experimented with some spray bottles, food coloring, water and paper mixed with found objects. After finding that besides dying my hands, you can create some awesome pictures with the negative space left behind. (Which I already knew but hadn't really tryed much myself.) Anyway, this was one of the results of digitally enhancing some of those images. I'll try to share the original pieces as well to show what neat things you can come up with, but wanted to share this for now just for fun. :)

And here's a little monster who seems to have fell in to a box of thumb tacks, as one of my friends suggested. ;D Poor thing. He was just trying to be helpful. LoL! At least it didn't get his eye or any vital organs.

And a couple of sketch dump pages of some stuff I've done over the last few months or more. These are just a handful of what I've drawn, though they're probably the better stuff of them all.

Oh, and a bracelet to share. I did three of these in all so far, one of which was given to a friend on her birthday awhile back. What do you think, worth pursuing? I liked the mix of leather with the bracelet and beads. Sort of gave it a more elegant look somehow.

Art Supplies

2011-08-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

I love seeing what other people use to create their art and what they have in their supplies, so I thought it might be fun to share what I normally use for my art. I think the photo is self explanatory enough, so I'll cease writing and let you simply enjoy the pic. ;)

Happy Birthday Blog!

2011-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

On August 9th of 2007, I added my first post to the world of blogdom. And I'm still at it, though not quite as vigorously, some years later in 2011. I think i said it had been five years, but I think it's really been four? I've grown to be terrible at math these last few years. LoL! Still, a birthday is a birthday no matter the age, so wanted to wish all those following me or visiting a very wonderful day and hope that you have enjoyed my works thus far and will continue to do so in the future. ;) And stay tuned for my giveaway! :D Shouldn't be too long now. ;)

Machu the cat is Very Hungry, now available for preorder!

2011-08-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence. I've been updating my facebook page more often then here, so feel free to check it out.

But I wanted to stop by here and let everyone now, preorders for my latest illustrated book are now up for grabs. ;D Just head over to Jack and Machu's page to reserve your copy (they're limited edition copies signed by the author and our stars, Jack and Machu). And don't forget to check our their facebook fan page for all the latest going on with our favorite kittens, Machu and Jack. ;D

And here are some sample pages from the book for your viewing pleasure. ;) Enjoy!

Has it really been that long?

2011-06-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

I just updated my portfolio and noticed that in August, it will be five years ago that I started this blog. Goodness, I can't believe it's been that long! I guess when I went months without posting, time just flew by. LoL! I'm thinking about doing a giveaway. Both for here and on my facebook fan page for the occasion. Most of you are probably aware that I just published my first children's book, "Jack the Kitten is Very Brave", written by the extremely talented Tabitha Grace Smith. What you may not know is that there is a second book coming out about them again. This one is about big brother Machu. It's very adorable and should be wrapped up around the time of my blog's birthday, so perhaps I can have a giveaway for a set of the books and some kitty related goodness? :D That's the plan anyway, so stay tuned for your chance to win. :) I'm going to try to do another giveaway for when my facebook fan page reaches 100 followers, too, so tell your friends and spread the word for your chance to win some more artsy goodness! Thanks to all who've started following already. Your comments and support mean so much to me. Thank you!

RoboBunny

2011-06-25T21:50:00.001-07:00

A little doodle in pen and ink, colored in photoshop.

Some new stuff

2011-06-09T23:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a new piece I just finished. Pen and ink, colored in photoshop. I've dubbed this piece, "The Queen and the Sea Thing".

And here's a sneaky peek of what you can find on my facebook page. You can see some work in progress pics of this work there as well.

The Wildthings and Max

2011-05-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

I seem to recall sharing some of these before? So sorry for any duplicates. I did these back in 2009 apparently (has it really been that long?!) and just updated one or two. Then realized how much I love Max and the wildthings and thought I'd share them here again.

And if you missed my earlier post, be sure to check out my facebook fan page. It's a little easier to update then blogger on my dial up so you may see some posts there you won't here and vice versa. You can find the page here. Thanks to those who've faved it so far.

Join me on Facebook!

2011-05-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

I just set up my facebook fan page for anyone who cares to join. ;) I think I'll try to do a giveaway if I get maybe 100 followers/likes, and then again at 500, 1,000, etc. That's the plan anway. Not sure what would be given away. I guess we'll have to get to 100 followers to find out, won't we. ;)

Studio

2011-05-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of getting my studio put together. It's a long way from being anywhere near a studio, but thought I would share what I have so far. I'll try to upload progress pictures as I go along, but here it is so far if you care to see it. Beware the stark white walls. Hopefully they'll have some color soon. Just can't decide what to put on them. :/

Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies, and even more bunnies.

2011-05-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

I painted these bunnies on a large foam core board for a sign. It's too large to scan so I took a photo and played around with it in photoshop. The "original" piece is only slightly enhanced in photoshop as the photo was a little dark. But the other versions are enhanced with photoshop's filters. I really liked how they came out and thought I would share them here.

Some more cards

2011-05-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

A couple more cards I made for some friends. The caterpillar one was blank on the inside while the other had a cheeky little monkey. ;D

A meek post

2011-04-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been quiet lately. Meant to do an Easter post of something but we ended up getting slammed by several severe storms in a row (tornado warnings, terrible thunder, etc.) that I just haven't had time. :/ I've also been busy working on my next book featuring Jack and Machu once again. ;) It's coming along swell so far and I'm really excited with the way it's looking.

On another note, I've discovered Heartsy.me. A place to get 50 and 60% off vouchers for specific Etsy shops. If you're familiar with Groupon, it's sort of like that, only for Etsy. Each day a new vendor is listed that you can get a voucher for. Some of the deals are really awesome. Moments ago I just got a $30 spending voucher and only paid $12. It was for the lovely shop, JustJaynes. I'll have to upload photos of what I ordered when they arrive and show off her wonderful work.

Until then, feel free to use this invitation link for their site. :D (You should get a $5 credit with this link.)

Some trinkets and treasures

2011-04-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Just some little trinkets and treasures I made over the weekend. The treasure boxes were originally light brown, unpainted and came in a set of three. I couldn't find the third one at the time but went ahead and painted the other two in shades of blue, pink, and pastel orange. They came out really well. The copper necklace details on the larger box were made sometime ago and I never finished it into a whole necklace so it fit perfect here.

The trinkets are pretty various. Mostly scrabble pieces, discounted Christmas items and odds and ends I've been hoarding for awhile. Glad I finally got to make good use of them. The photos came out a bit brighter then I thought. The colors are slightly more neon then they really are.

The Devil's Party

2011-04-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Pen and ink drawing on paper, colored with photoshop. I also used part of this as my newest header. I also included a little Studio Ghibli love by adding Totoro. I've not yet seen My Neighbor Totoro but I've fallen in love with Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service. Am planning to try to find the other studio Ghibli movies as soon as I get a chance. I know they're cartoons but the food in them always makes my mouth water. LoL!

Another Birthday

2011-04-05T18:34:00.002-07:00

Here's a card I did last night for a friend's birthday today. Drawn in ink, colored with water colors and colored pencils.

Progressive piece

2011-03-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share a piece through it's progression. The line work, the colored foreground and the completed piece with background. Pen and ink drawing colored via photoshop.

Produce Abuse

2011-03-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

A little silly something I created. ;D I don't think produce abuse is a big issue (or an issue at all) but it was fun creating a teeny poster for it. ;D Pen and ink drawing enhanced with photoshop.

The Pirate Kitten - Free Coloring Page!

2011-03-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Freebie coloring page! It's not quite Jack the Kitten but it's a pirate kitten none the less. ;D Hope you enjoy!

Ink on paper, enhanced digitally.

Note: Please do not reuse without my permission. For personal use only.

Mini marshmallows!

2011-03-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not exactly a huge fan of marshmallows (marshmallow creme, yes, marshmallows, not so much), but how can anyone resist mini marshmallows? They're always so adorable and tiny. <3

Yummers!

2011-02-21T06:50:00.000-08:00

More cheesy moons! X3

Rain drops keep falling...

2011-02-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

Poor Bunny. I

'm not chinese, but I've been told it's the year of the rabbit. And since I love rabbits, I obviously am using this as an excuse to draw as many bunnies as possible. XD So hope you've enjoyed all the bunnies so far! And spring should be coming in full force soon! Yay! <3

Luv Balloonz

2011-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

A little something simple for Valentine's day. <3

A sneak peek and a neurotic Kat

2011-02-08T22:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a little sneak peek of what I'm hoping to get up soon. I'm wanting to coordinate a little kick off here on my blog for this as well, so be sure to check back for updates.

I also decided to start a blog for a crazy cartoon I came up with about a neurotic cat named Yelper Kat who basically only knows how to gripe and complain. LoL! He's sort of my alter ego as he is the exact opposite of me in most cases. If you'd like to check out his latest annoyances, be sure to check out the blog at

www.yelperkat.blogspot.com

Cheese?

2011-02-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

I don't think I ever thought the moon was cheese, but wouldn't it be cool if it was? ;D

It's never that easy

2011-02-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

Nothing is ever as easy as it looks. :3

Valentine Freebie!

2011-02-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

I decided to give this as a freebie wallpaper. :3 Please do not alter the image or redistribute it without my permission. Because it's free, I only uploaded it in one size, 1024 x 768.

Bunny Blues

2011-01-31T07:43:00.000-08:00

For the days you're feeling blue, you can always use some bunny love. <3

Birthday Gift

2011-01-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

This goes with the birthday card I just posted. This person loves to read, so I took a picture frame, covered the frame in old book sheets from an awesome old biology book I have, added some of my own art (also made from bits of another old english book), ribbon and crackle pain and voila! Instant gift. :3

Weenie Dog love

2011-01-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

A little love for the weenie dog. <3

Birthday card

2011-01-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

A simple birthday card I drew for a friend. ;) The top is the front and back of the card and the bottom was the inside.

Eat-listrations!

2011-01-14T16:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, the title is terrible, I know. But when you find something awesome to share, it doesn't really matter, right? That's how I see it anyway. And I've found several awesome blogs and treats to share. :D

First, it all started over at Dani Jone's website. That girl can draw! I've always been a fan of her awesome illustrations, but when I saw this post, I just fell in love. I mean, what can be better then art and food combined?

So, upon visiting They Draw and Cook, I found several awesome recipes I wanted to share (and visit again later!) with you guys. :)

Right off the bat, this one blew me away with it beautiful color.
And don't forget to visit her blog, too. Even more beautiful works found there.

Then there's this one that I adored. I love the scratchboard look. I've never ventured into that medium but after seeing this artist's gorgeous work, definately makes me want to try it out asap!

More scrolling thus lead to more beautiful combinations of both art and food.
Kugelhopf
Stained Glass Window Cookies by Gingerbred, whose art I particularly adored.
Chocolate dipped anything , whose blog held the most adorable creatures by the way.

So that by now, I'm not only starving to create something beautiful, but to eat it as well. LoL!

So finding these dishes didn't help any either.

Chocolate Strawberry Tart
Russian Tea Cakes (which should be a great tea party item when I finally have my Alice in Wonderland themed tea party)
Sweet Acorn Squash
Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches
Chocolate Potato
And...Well, I could do this all day. And the sad thing? I haven't even gotten past the December Holiday treats yet. :S So be sure to stop by their site and look your fill of all they have to offer. Now excuse me while I go attempt my own try at a tasty dish. :9

More Reviews for Jack the Kitten! :D

2011-01-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

More reviews are up! If you want to see what everyone has to say about Jack and his pirate antics so far, check out these awesome blogs. ;)

Maple Leaf Mommy

Surviving a teachers salary

My Springfield Mommy

Good Reads

Imagination Cafe

Winter bunny

2011-01-11T00:30:00.000-08:00

Pen, pencil and ink on paper

Cannibal Snowmen

2011-01-10T23:50:00.000-08:00

Pen drawing, colored in photoshop.

Sketchbook sneak peek.

2010-12-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.

Powder Puff Earrings

2010-12-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Some handmade Christmas gifts. :D Powder puff earrings! The card/earring holders are made from Christmas playing cards I found for $1 at our local grocery store. I bought both sets of the penguins and polar bears, which made perfect earring card holders.

Le Cheshire

2010-12-24T03:35:00.000-08:00

A digital collage sort of piece of the Cheshire cat.

A peek in my sketchbook

2010-12-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

Just some pics from my sketchbook.

Face masks

2010-12-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

A couple of facemasks I made back in October for Halloween. Both were made with store bought face masks, one with glitter and accessories and the other with feathers.

Some Wonderland Love

2010-12-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

Thought I would spread some Alice in Wonderland and white rabbit love this holiday season. With Christmas days away, I'm vastly behind on gifting. Will try to share some new art over the holidays, but until then, feel free to browse these awesome art, supplies, etc. sites and Wonderlanderific photos.

Alice in Wonderland - White Rabbit

Follow the White Rabbit

My Grafico

Thi Thuy on Deviantart

Modes 4 U

First Reviews!

2010-12-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Wow, first reviews are already going up! Check them out at Amazon, Machu and Jack's page, and on several other sites such as Dragon my feet, Don't eat the pancakes, and nimlas.org. :D

Find Jack and Machu on facebook!

2010-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

Also, you can find Jack and Machu on Facebook at their fan page!

There are contests and great deals on merchandise you can win or buy so be sure to check it out!

Jack the Kitten is now available on Amazon!

2010-12-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

My first illustrated book is now available on Amazon! :D Woohoo! If you haven't gotten your copy yet, be sure to order one now. It will make a great christmas gift and with Amazon's Free Super Saver Shipping, it should arrive just in time. :D

I believe Amazon has the book available to other countries as well, so if you live outside the US, you should be able to get a copy, too! :D

Some new works and inspirational artists

2010-12-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

Just uploaded a new piece to my deviant art account. ;)

SuzyQ2pie

Plus I've found some awesome artists I wanted to share. ;) Not sure if I've ever mentioned it, but I adore Alice in Wonderland. The white rabbit is my favorite animal of all time and the story is just so awesome that it's always a treat to watch the movie. *blushes at having only partially read the book so far*

Anyway, while browsing around online, I found this wonderful artists' work:

Aaron McKinney - Alice Artwork

And this artists's work, which has nothing to do with Alice in Wonderland. ;D Still, I really liked their art, so thought I would share it. ;)

Jeremiah Ketner

Hope to have more stuff to share soon! Oh, and if you haven't seen her blog so far, Holli Conger is sharing a month's worth of art advice, help, etc.! Definately a must for all newbie artists like myself to check out. ;) You can visit her site here.

My first book!

2010-11-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, I can officially say what I've been working on for the past few months! :D It's an awesome kids' book entitled, Jack the Kitten is Very Brave, and can be ordered here:

Machu and Jack

Or if you'd like a hoodie or sticker or other product bearing some cute kitten artwork from the book, feel free to visit here.

It was written by the incredibly talented Tabitha Grace Smith. It's an adorable book so be sure to pick one up soon. ;D

Sorry to be so quiet lately...

2010-11-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

but I'm working on my first real illustration project. :D And I'm almost done! I can't wait to share it with you guys. :) Hopefully I'll be able to post some photos soon. ;) I also have tons of sketches I've been doodling in the meantime as well that I'll hopefully be able to upload in the near future. Thanks for visiting!

Revamped

2010-11-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

I did a little moving around with the Google options available now and revamped by blog a bit. I was previously using my own artwork as part of the background, but decided to stick with one of the premade ones for now since it looks cleaner and classier. I may be redoing the header later, but for now, I think it looks a bit better as it is. Hopefully it's more readable and enjoyable to view then before. I also updated my links list, as several were severly outdated and non existant. :/ If you find a link that is still not working in my link list, please let me know. I also added some additional features, so feel free to have fun looking around. ;)

Books, books, endlessly books...

2010-08-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, more sketchbooks. You can never have enough sketchbooks. These turned out a lot better then my last few attempts. One will be going to a friend as a gift so I guess we'll see good they withstand actually being used. ;D

Update: You can view my other sketchbook attempts here and here.

Lots and lots of pink...

2010-08-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my neice had to do a "Me" box for school. So obviously I had to give her a helping hand. ;D The box she was originally going to use ended up not working, so instead, I decided to make one for her. Once it was complete, we made a matching booklet with photos, etc. (which are blacked out in the photo) and then found some things for her to put in it. Overall, it turned out pretty cute!

Then we glued this clay flower I made to the top to balance out the pink, which I didn't take a picture of. But here's the flower none the less.

To finish it up completely I added handles for her made with some pink/orange mixed yarn as well. You can't tell in the photo but the box has a lid that folds over the top that's on a sort of hinge so she wouldn't lose it.

What's YOUR creative style?

2010-08-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

I was wandering around online, visiting one of my favorite haunts, How About Orange, when I saw her newest quiz. What's your creativity style?

I seem to use Creativity as a release. "For these reasons you are usually attracted to art that demands physicality, that allows you to express what’s inside, and that unites spontaneity, strength, freedom, power and movement." Hmmm, nice to know that about my creativity. ;)

Then, continuing my aimless wanderings, I came across this: Craft For a Cause

Not necessarily the biggest prize you could win, but looks like a good way to help your favorite organization, if you have one. Good luck to all those who enter. ;)

Something Simple

2010-08-09T18:15:00.001-07:00

Some simple things I did recently. ;) Happy summer to all!

DIY Scrabble Jewelry

2010-07-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been busy and not able to post much. I did make these earrings and necklaces out of scrapbook pages and scrabble pieces. They were extremely easy.

Here's what I used:

E-6000 glue (also works for clay products I believe)
Jewelry findings (basically these are just like chain links, only individual and circular rather then oval)
Old scrabble game pieces
Small photos, scrapbook paper or whatever you want to put on your scrabble piece.
Mod Podge glue/decopodge finish
Diamond glaze or other dimensional finish (optional)
scissors
Any additional embellishments you might like to add, such as plastic gems, etc.

Take your chosen picture(s), measure and cut them to size, then glue them on. I used the mod podge to glue here, which will also served as a finish on my pieces to keep the paper safe. To give your earrings or jewelry a unique look, you can alternate which way you use the scrabble pieces, for example, on the owl earrings I created below, one earring is vertical, the other horizontal. I also varied the photos to make it even more interesting. Once you glue your photos on and any embellishments you wish to add(I recommend using the E6000 glue for the extra items), then you can either cover the piece with the finish now or go ahead and attach the finding to the top of the piece with the E-6000 glue and wait for it to set before using the finish. It would probably be easier and best to do the finish before gluing on the findings. Once you have those steps completed, you can take your dimensional finish and use it to enhance your photos. I did not enhance these when I took the pictures but added some dimension to some of them later. This worked very well on the snail necklace piece I created.

You'll need to let the glue set completely for about 24 hours, but after that, you should be able to add these to any necklaces or earrings you wish. :) It's a great way to use those old game pieces you have lying around, or to add some unique jewelry to your collection. Feel free to leave a comment with pictures or questions if you try this out for yourself.

Kawaii!

2010-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

I've never been well versed in foreign languages (I'm lucky to understand my native tongue most of the time. LoL!). So when I saw posts of Kawaii art, I had no idea it meant "Cute" art. Somehow I eventually stumbled upon that fact and have been in love with all things kawaii ever since. LoL!

One love I've found recently is for kawaii food jewelry. They're so tiny and adorable! But having been unable to work well with clay and polymer items, I'ev always avoided trying to make such things myself. Although a few months ago, I tried ultra light sculpey clay as a jumping off point, which I do NOT recommend for new users. It did not turn out well. :S However, after doing some research and finding a small craft store not too far away, I was able to find some better clay to work with. Fimo, I believe? *Will have to double check that later* Either way, here's a few of my creations thus far. Note, none of these items have been glazed. I also have several items that I've turned into earrings and necklaces, so hopefully I can take some better pictures of those soon to share. ;) (The lighting is really bad on some of these. :P)

I'm a deviant...

2010-06-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

...a Deviant artist that is. LoL! I decided to jump on the bandwagon and create my own deviant art account. Feel free to follow me there as well. ;) I also have a tumblr blog I've had plans to try out, but so far, blogger has been the best place for me, so don't expect me to switch anytime soon. ;) However, if you wish to follow me there, here's that link as well. ;)

Cell phone cubby

2010-05-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

I finally found a home for the ice cream patch I made! A cell phone bag cubby! It needs a handle or belt loop as right now, it can only live in my pocket or in my bag since it has nothing to latch onto with, but it came out fairly well and it holds my cell and any notes I write or camera cards I need to carry, or anything else small that I want to keep close by. :) The sewing is terrible on the edges, as I did it by hand and haven't mastered hiding my stitches or making them at least look good, but so far, it's help up well. I also used a spray glue to mount the ice cream to the felt baggy since I used very few stitches to hold it to the bag. It's been working great so far. I have yet to wash it so I guess that will be the ultimate test, but since this was something fun just for me, it turned out pretty good. :)

More felted fun!

2010-05-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

After making so many jelly roll felted necklaces, I had some left over, and they inspired this little ice cream necklace. This is the second one I did.

And here is the first. It came out a bit top heavy as the beads tend to weigh it down quite a bit, but it still looks pretty cute. To me anyway. ;D

You'd think with making all these ice cream items, I'd be a major ice cream fan, but honestly, I rarely even eat ice cream. Perhaps I always view it was a face which makes it harder to eat? LoL!

Sharing

2010-05-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

I recently scanned this, but drew it ages ago. ;) Not sure what the celebratory cupcake is for, but at least this little guy is willing to share it with his fluff friend. :D

I also have some updates on my felt work, but that post will have to wait.

Semi-handmade purse

2010-05-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is only a semi handmade dainty purse. I found some really cute pants for teens at a local store that were on sale at a VERY cheap price. So I bought a couple of pairs because the fabric was so wonderfully soft and had a great feeling to it. I guess you could call it spandex? I need to read the label, but for lack of energy to do so at the moment, we'll call it a form of spandex. It's stretchy and very soft and silky like on the outside. The bottom of the pants were bunched up so that they created instant capri like pants. I simply cut off the end of one legging and created this little purse. I did have to sew the bottom and everything else, but my part ended up being mostly easy. :) The perfect way to do a purse, in my opinion. LoL! I guess the hard part will be figuring out what to carry in it. Anyway, here's the finished one. This is the one I created for my neice. Hers came out alot cuter then the one I made for me, so I'm only going to share hers with you all. :)

Some post cards?

2010-05-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

I did these awhile back and haven't really done anything with them or went back to them. Not even sure what I did with them actually...

Felt Ice Cream

2010-05-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

This creation was born after creating several jelly roll jewelry items here and here. I'm pretty sure someone was eating ice cream in the house at the time, which also helped bring this into creation. It's made of felt and was really rather simple to create.

I'm just not exactly sure where to attach it to now. :/ Guess that means I'll need to create something for it. LoL!

Here are some more detailed pictures. Hopefully they're not too small.

Jelly Roll...matching necklace

2010-05-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot, I made a matching necklace to go with my jelly roll earrings!

And speaking of earrings, here's a set I made some time ago. They're rather wonky, but I like how they turned out. I haven't been brave enough to wear them out yet though. Hopefully soon.

Jelly Roll Felt Earrings

2010-05-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

Here's another project from the book I was telling you about in this post. They're called Jelly Roll Candies, but they look like potato candy my grandmother used to make when I was a kid.

The book gives detailed instructions on how to make these cute little candies, but I won't bore you with the details. You'll have to find the book for that I'm afraid. ;) But here's what I created with the ones I made. Cute little earrings!

Here are the jelly rolls made out of felt. After these were dry, I sewed on little green beads.

And here are the jelly rolls as earrings. They came out really cute and I can't wait to wear them. :)

DIY: Felt Dying!

2010-05-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

I was gifted a wonderful book entitled, "Pretty Little Felts" written by Julie Collings. It has a wonderful assortment of craft projects for felt. I've always loved creating with felt, despite my terrible use of a needle and thread, so I decided that I would try out some of these handy little projects. Some really don't even need a needle and thread, which made them all the more appealing. What I wanted to try first was felt dyeing. I've never been able to find any really nice felt colors I like. They're always too bold or too dark or too dull for the color I want. My selection has mostly consisted of felt squares as well. I hope to one day try needle felting, but have yet to find the materials in any stores nearby. The book also shows Wool rovings, which I would love to find. I may have to try to order it online though, as no one nearby seems to have it so far. :/

Anyway, I decided to try coloring some felt just to see how well that might work. The book consists of instructions that were pretty simple and easy, so I took a couple of pices of white felt and decided to try it out. Here are my pictures below.

1. Gather your materials. I took two pieces of white felt, although you could use any color you like. However darker colors may not be affected much by the dye. Choose your dye colors and kinds. I like liquid dyes and only had three available at the time. One is a lettuce color, one is like cranberry? And then the last was eggplant I believe. I ended up leaving the cranberry one as it's own color, but mixed the eggplant and lettuce a little. Be sure to use quite a bit of a dye with your water. Several squirts anyway. Too little color won't change the felt much and will just wash out with you rinse it out. You can use bowls, jars, or whatever you like to hold the dye. You will need a container of water for your dye mixture,make sure the water is slightly warm. You'll also need a class of clean, warrm water to rinse your felt in. It may be easier to rinse these under running water. I had to keep cleaning out my clean water after each use to keep the colors left behind from mixing. It may depend on your brand of dye as well? If you're looking to dye any felt, be sure to experiement first and use several practice pieces. You'll also need an old towel or paper towels to dry the felt on afterwards. Make sure you use something you dont' mind changing the color of. Paper towels are probably your best pick.
2. Once you have your supplies ready, take one of the glasses of water and drop in several drops or squirts of your dye. In the picture, I think I started out with only a few drops and ultimately added more, so feel free to experiment with how much dye you want to use. The more dye you have, the darker or stronger your colors will turn out. Put your dye in (might want to wear gloves to keep your fingers clean) and let sit for a bit. Sitting longer means darker, stronger colors. When you think it's done, take out the felt and rinse it in the clean water.
3. This pictures shows the cranberry felt after it has been rinsed in clean water. Notice how pink the 'clean' water becomes?
4. This is the pink/cranberry felt and the eggplant/lettuce felt next to their original counterpart. Notice the changes? The cranberry/pink felt came out alot better and stronger then the other. I also had to keep dyeing the brown colored one as the color kept fading out of it when it was rinsed. I may not have left it in long enough. If you want your felt to be darker, leaving it in the dyed water longer helps. This was just my first attempt, but I am pretty pleased with out it came out.

The whole process was fairly simple and hopefully I can get some other dyes that will help me get more colors that will be closer to what I'm looking for. I have several other projects to post that I've tried from this book, so stay tuned!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

This is a bit late, but Happy Mother's day to all the mom's out there. :)

I created this as a sort of cover art for a dvd I created for my mother. Something simple based on another photo I saw somewhere online. It was simple so decided to keep mine simple as well. :)

What items do you create with?

2010-05-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to dedicate this post to some of my favorite craft items. Here are a few that I adore and use fairly often:

1. Buttons!
2. scrapbook paper, or paper with designs
3. Fiskars Cutter Bee Scissors (these are seriously the best thing I've ever bought. Everyone should own at least one pair of these.)
4. stamps (Love so many, I really don't have any particular fave brand or design really.)
5. sandpaper

Sandpaper? Yes, sandpaper. It was years before I discovered it's multifunctional use for art. Have a lumpy chipboard piece? Use sandpaper to buff out the chinks! Need a distressed look but don't have a distress tool handy or can't find one you like? Sandpaper works well!

Oh, and I suppose a number 6 item would be art/craft/scrapbook magazines. These really are priceless for ideas and projects and techniques. My favorite so far is Scrapbooks, Etc. They work best for me because they offer multiple projects, such as art projects, diy projects, gift ideas, card ideas, scrapbook layouts, and so much more! However, there are many to choose from, so the next time you're near the magazine aisle, be sure to check out what's out there! :D

The princess and the pigeon

2010-05-01T18:16:00.002-07:00

Just doodling in photoshop and created this. Thought I would share it while I have a chance. ;)

...and then it rained....

2010-05-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

It's been raining quite a bit this week, which I guess is what perhaps partly inspired this piece? Although it was more inspired by this talented artist I came across recently. Either way, here's what my head came up with.

2010-04-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Some cuteness I got from my latest travels to Michaels. ;D I'm not exactly sure if these are for scrapbooks or if you're supposed to use them to help your children learn...maybe both? But I plan on using them as scrapbooking decorations regardless. LoL! I love the pictures and their rustic look. Sooo cute! :D You can problem find them on their website here if you'd like to order your own. ;) Or if you just want to check out their neat stuff! :D

Some Easter Goodies

2010-04-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

2010-04-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

I did make this little bunny actually. (Thought not the awesome buttons it's sitting on.) Decided to try my hand at clay and bought some ultra light sculpey clay, and this is what I came up with. :P I admire those who can create things with clay, even more so now that I realize how hard it is! LoL! Will probably keep trying it, but doubt much will come of my trials. If they do, I'll be sure to post them here. ;D

Cutesy bunnies for Easter

2010-04-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

I started drawing these around the same time as the sock monkeys, and have more of them as well. Just in time to post them for Easter. :D Happy Easter to all! :D

More krazy kats...

2010-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Just a few more krazy kats. :D This is actually one of my favorite ones. I love the whistling cat and the expression on the other two's faces. LoL! Perhaps I should do one where they get their revenge? Hmmm....

Sock Monkeys...

2010-03-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

So I've had these little sock monkey arts I did for awhile but haven't had time to scan them or anything. Finally did that and tweaked it just a bit in photoshop and thought I would share the results of one here. I'd love to do greeting cards or something with them, but I'd probably be the only one who'd like them. LoL!

Redesign

2010-03-06T23:32:00.000-08:00

Decided it was time to redesign my blog. :D

Feeling inspired.

2010-03-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

For me, the toy aisle of any store has always been a treasure trove of inspiration, obviously. However, when you get older, it's rare you have a reason to go down the toy aisles as much, and even if you do, you have to fight with your children on whether to buy this or that and really don't get to *look* at any of the items there. So, I try to make a trip down these aisles every so often just to see what's new and what kids like and what I like. One such recent trip found me going home with one of these dolls. A Moxie Girl doll. The "Creative" one was my first choice, of course, but after getting her home and finding out how utterly adorable she was, I couldn't stop for going back for the rest, as you can see from the pictures below.

I don't know much about them but did read somewhere on a blog while trying to research them that they're made by the same company that makes the Bratz dolls and apparently were/are going through a sort of custody battle with another company for the rights to those. Therefore, the company came up with these dolls, just in case they lost the lawsuit. Regardless, I think these dolls are much cuter than the Bratz dolls (I've always been a Barbie doll gal myself) so even if they do lose, I doubt they'll have much trouble finding some new buyers for these. :D They also have a much larger version of these (these are only about a couple of inches tall) that you can design with markers and stickers. She comes with little accessories you can design as well. I'll have to wait until next time to get her. ;) Now I just need to get a good office and desk to set these on to enjoy properly. :)

Something cutesy-ish

2010-02-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

Something cutesy from my tablet. :P

Booklet

2010-02-19T19:08:00.000-08:00

This is a little something I started ages ago for a halloween booklet that I have yet to finish. I thought it was so cute though that I couldn't help but share it. :) Here is the cover and a couple of the pages inside. Happy LATE halloween! :D

Some paper collage art

2010-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a little something silly I created during a bad snow day where it was too cold and nasty to do just about anything but make art. :)

Something from awhile ago...

2010-02-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

I had meant to post this last halloween, or sometime thereafter, but never got around to it. Thought I would share it now since I'll probably forget by next halloween. LoL! Just a little digital craziness I created on my computer. ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's another Valentine's Day. :) If you're like me, just about any holiday or occasion anymore calls for some serious scrambling, searching, and pulling everything together at the last minute just to get through the day, much less to thoroughly enjoy it. For those of us, I present the "Oh NO" clown above. :) Happy Valentine's day to all!

Wintery goodness

2010-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

For all those out there who love winter and snow in general, here's a little something fun I created that I thought I would share. The little girl was made with cut paper, scanned in and altered digitally to add the falling snow, tongue, and background. This is a gif image and should move to show her eating the falling snow. If you find that it isn't moving or you can't view the image, please let me know. I probably downloaded it incorrectly. ;)

*All images copyright Mindy Lou Hagan unless otherwise noted.*

Homemade sketchbook...attempt number two...

2010-02-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

After I had so much fun creating my first homemade sketchbook, I thought it might be fun to do another one (that and the fact that I lost the first one. :P ) So, this time I decided to show more of the steps I used in creating this one. Mind you, this one is more of a travel sketchbook or a journal just to take some quick notes in. However, it is very easy to make and requires mostly some simple materials you probably already have lying around, which, to me, is the best kind of scrapbook to make. :)

First, take those basic materials, which for me, were: a brown paper bag (this was my cover. I used the kind like you used to pack your lunch to school in, which you can buy in large quanities from your local grocery store or possible craft store), some sort of binding material (I used yarn, but you can use a needle and thread, a sewing machine, or whatever you prefer), some eyelets and an eyelet tool (I'm blanking on what the name of this thing is. See the picture below for references.), and whatever paper you intend to use in your scrapbook.

Second, Cut your paper to the desired size. I simply folded my paper baggie in half and measured based on the size I wanted from there. Although if you prefer to be more scientific, feel free to pull our your ruler and measure everything to ensure a better fit. That's the great thing about these homemade sketchbooks. They're made to fit into your needs! Once you have measured and cut your paper (I used a paper trimmer, but scissors will work as well), then proceed to step three.

Third, use your eyelets or other binding material, and bind your papers and covers together. If you wish to decorate your cover first, feel free to do so. Just be sure that whatever you decorate with will not be in the way of where you intent to place your binding. For my sketchbook, I placed the eyelets first and then threaded my yarn through them and tied each into a sort of braid.

And here is what my finished product came out to look like. It's not beautiful by any means, but it serves as a simple sketchbook or notebook that I can take with my just about anywhere and use with just about any basic medium.

Additionally, I tried several other types of covers and papers and come up with some other types of sketchbooks, which you can see below.

UPDATE: You can view my other sketchbook attempts here and here.

Looking for her prince...

2010-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is a piece I created with some cut papers, scrapbooking supplies and stamps and inks. After I created it, I scanned it in and added some digital alterations to it to create the final you see below. I'm thinking now that maybe I should do a matching piece of her "prince".

Elephant Music

2010-02-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

This is a little something I created ages ago and just finally got around to scanning in the past few months. It's very simplistic, but I liked it and mostly made it for my mom who has always had a soft spot for elephants, of all things. ;) I've been meaning to add some digital alterations to it, but have yet to get around to it. :P For now, just enjoy it as it is. ;)

Some new pieces for the new year.

2010-02-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the prolonged absence over the last few months. Other things have kept me away from posting, however, I desperately need to keep this blog of mine updated, so I plunkered down and decided, 'why not today?' And since Valentine's day is quickly approaching, I decided to do some pieces for it and thought it would be fun to share one or two of those. ;)

Almost Halloween!

2009-10-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything for the past few weeks. Been busy and uncreative. :P However, halloween seems to have rekindled my art bug and I'm suddenly all excited about art again! :D

I just found this awesome website and video today, which I love.

And Holli hosting her Pumpkin Junkin contest again this year, so be sure to enter! ;D

Attack of the Alien boy!

2009-08-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Something simple created on my tablet. ;) Happy weekend to all!

An Elefant's Love

2009-08-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

A little something cutesy I created on my tablet.

More Bunnies!

2009-08-19T11:22:00.001-07:00

Some more bunny arts. Gotta love their cuteness. ;) Not really happy with this one, but thought it was somewhat cute, so thought I would share it. That sun needs a lot of work. :P Oh well, hope you enjoy it anyway. ;)

Do the Funky Chicken!

2009-08-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a new digital piece I created that I love. ;) Would love to do a series of these with other animals but doubt it will happen, at least not any time soon. :P

Digital craziness.

2009-08-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

Some new pieces from my tablet. :) I really like trying out the different brushes and textures. Definately easier to do them digitally than spending real money on all those mediums. :)

A skiing snowman.

Um...a princess?

And a mean ol' cat in a tree trying to trick that poor birdie. It looks like the bird is on to the trick, so I think he'll be fine. ;)

Bistro Series 4

2009-08-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

So far this is the last one in my 'series'. Really only the first two are 'bistro'esque, but I wanted these other two to go with them. ;) I like the idea of this one rather than the pictures. It's basically a princess that has a frog as a back up if her prince charming doesn't work out. ;)

Bistro Series 3

2009-08-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

This one is rather simple, but I think it's one of my favorites. ;)

Bistro series 2

2009-08-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Second piece in the series. Also done on my tablet.

Bistro Series 1

2009-07-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

I call these my Bistro series because they look sort of like something I would imagine would be on the side of a bistro or coffee shop. ;) They're done on my bamboo tablet. Enjoy!

Some new work...finally!

2009-07-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, finally, finally, got some new art works to share. :) I did these on my bamboo wacom tablet. Hope you enjoy them! Have lots of new sketches of bunnies to share, too. Gotta love bunnies! ;D