#377

While setting my diary up for the year, the first prompt in the book is goals for the year. I did the typical lose weight and save money, but my number one goal is to draw more. I could have put get better at drawing, but I won’t get there without practice. I hope to create at least one proper picture per week. Depending on the week will be whether the picture is big, small, digital, traditional, simplistic or complex. Practice is one step closer to getting better, no matter how small.
This picture, of Rin from Blue Exorcist, was inspired by a technique that I saw on YouTube, where the artist used watercolour as a base, then coloured pencil to define shadows and bring more colours into the picture. By using a light orange, purple and white, there is much more life in the skin than plain peaches and browns give. I ended up making the black areas really colourful to try another technique I saw, but it didn’t match, despite looking quite good.
I’d like to do some more portraits this year. I know that if you look back a year in my posts, I’ll have said the same thing last year. I have gotten a lot better this year, and will continue to get better. My art is like a journey, with no end, I’m here to learn, and sightsee. Even if I’m the greatest artist of all time, there’ll still be things to learn about.
It just takes a long time, because I’m trying to learn so many things at once, with all my crafting and living.
I hope some creativity makes it into all of your New Year’s resolutions this year.

#376

For a couple of weeks now, I have had the urge to get a planner diary. This was strange because I haven’t used one properly before, and the only thing I did use it for was times of tablets when I was really sick.
Due to limited time before I boiled into the pavement, I only had a short span to look for a journal before I had to get home, being the delicate flower that I am. Besides that, I got to three shops today and I found this diary. I saw it online, along with another one that I liked, but that one wasn’t in the shop.
Diary’s don’t sound all that creative, and you might be wondering why I’m posting about it in this blog, but this diary has a week to a page, and a “thoughts and musings” page every week. I’ve decided to fill these sections with lists about me, inspirations, ideas and whatnot. It even has quotes and prompts for journalling between each month.
I read that you need to like the journal you get, so that you look forward to using it. I’ve dug out and bought a bunch of stamps and stickers that I can use in the book to keep it interesting and pretty. I wanted to keep with a theme of aqua, coral, gold, and black, but I’ve already stamped all the birthdays in blue and pink. I guess it’ll be bright by the time I’ve finished. I’m already tempted to draw all over the cover, but I have stopped myself, so far. I’ve only had it twelve hours, so we’ll see how I go.
As I was looking at the planners with the pockets and ring binders, I thought I could sew a jacket for it to hold my pen, and some other things like drs letters and things that I need with me.
I just really hope I can keep the diary up, as I’d like to record things like the weather, events and health issues, so I can look back later and see if there’s any patterns or irregularities. I like doing things like that, I just need to make a time each week and stick to it.
It might even remind me to blog more often.

#375

Now that I’ve had a bit of time to recover, and everyone should have received their cards now, I can show you what I ended up with. Last time I spoke I didn’t know how many card I needed. Turns out it was only four more and I ended up with extras somehow, so that worked out well.
By the end I was so sick of card making, and I never wanted to see Christmas paper for a while. Then I decided to spend my Christmas money on card making supplies. They shouldn’t be here for a week or so, so I have some time to recover until the next card, which is quite soon.
For Christmas, I also got Paint Tool SAI. I was using the trial, but got the licence on Christmas. I haven’t had much of a chance to use it much, as I’ve just been colouring in with all the pencils and two colouring books I received, as I recover from the food comas.
While looking through dies on ebay, I had the thought of using a background/lattice on a die cut circle to make a nice lace piece to use on cards. I couldn’t find the die I wanted for cheap, so I’ll have to look around, but I tried it with a small flourish die to see if I could get it to work. I tried it coming in from the side, but there was a few pieces that I had to piece back together. When I tried it in the middle, it looks nice, even if it wasn’t what I was looking for, but that’s how happy accidents happen.

Hope you all had a great holiday, and are creative in the New Year.

#374

Christmas is so crazy, and I am exhausted. It’s been boiling hot, and getting out to see Star Wars was a sweat-a-thon. It was a nice break from the gluing and sticking together cards, and I wanted to draw some fan art. Above is Rey, one of the main characters in the new Star Wars movie. I fell in love with her instantly, as well as BB-8, the droid. I did try to ink the sketch, but the pen I used was too big and I lost a lot of details, but I might try scanning and playing around with it on the computer. We’ll see how that goes, if I ever have time again.
My lounge room has been officially turned into a card making factory, complete with trestle table and computer chair. I have less than two days and no energy to get these cards done. I can’t find the cat food box with the sentiments in them, and I haven’t even counted how many cards I need or have made.

This is a present that I wrapped for my partners secret Santa at work. It took me more than a whole movie (a Knights Tale) to make the tag. I had to cut nine alphabets (the letters are three layers high, and there’s so many E’s in the way she spells Kendelle.) Luckily, all my other gifts are to people with three lettered names. I also had to make my own ribbon bow for the present, as I didn’t think I had any. I found them afterwards. All this work for someone I’ve never met. I don’t know how much she appreciated the hand made aspect, but it’s still nice to do it for people.
It pains me to think if people throw away my cards and things that I’ve made, but I can’t control it once I’ve given them away.

#373

Decided to take a different approach to card making, and used a guide to cut the scrapbooking paper into many little bits of paper. Not many are Christmassy colours, but that way if they aren’t used at Christmas cards, they can be bases for any occasion. Besides, Christmas cards don’t strictly have to be a certain colour. There’s enough tinsel around to let you feel Christmassy. If you need a red and green card, after scouring the shops for gifts and listening to carols all day, to remind you that it’s Christmas, then you need some medical attention.
I won’t even get into the debate between Merry Christmas and Happy Christmas.

#372

Too hot. Looking at snowflakes isn’t helping. Found this piece heat embossed ready to watercolour while I was cleaning, so I did that afterwards. The powder was very spotty, so some snowflakes are hare to make out. I may go over these with my white Uniball Signo Broad pen.
I have also been making a bunch of paper boxes. It takes much less thinking power to make than cards, so if I don’t get all the cards done, I might fill the boxes with chocolates to give out. Provided the chocolates or my brain doesn’t melt till then.

#371

Got back from crafting not too long ago. Had so much fun, but am very sore. We made penguin doorstops out of socks and rice, Christmas tags, and gift boxes out of some nice scrapbooking paper. My friend hadn’t seen me craft before, so was surprised that I zoomed ahead.
There wasn’t many people, so I was able to chat and it wasn’t too overwhelming with people. I had something in common with each lady, which was nice to be able to talk about things.
For now though, I’m just glad I don’t have to cook, as I’m completely exhausted.
I just have to think of a name for my penguin.

#370

Trialing some macro photography with a crude home made light box.
I wanted to photo some objects to make a background at raspberrysheep.com. It still needs some tweaking and isn’t good for your eyes at 3am, but it’s a start. I just looked at it on my phone, and noticed it has a yellow halo on some pictures that didn’t appear on my laptop. One of the issues of web design is optimising for as many devices and browsers as you can.
Hopefully, I can make a better and bigger light box to photograph my crafts. The one I made is a semi clear storage box on its side, with foil taped on either side with a lamp, resting on a tissue box aimed overhead, or in front, depending. It wasn’t even large enough to fit a card in nicely, so I’ll have to make it bigger. Maybe I’ll use a bigger box. There are plenty of instructions online to make light boxes for photography, and I even bought white tissue paper for it, I just got lazy, but it probably worked out just the same.
In the mean time, I’ve been finding small things to photo, like sequins, pens, bottles, and rhinestones. I’m trying to stick to aqua and pink to go with the raspberrysheep theme, but I’m also practicing changing the colours using Photoshop. I certainly need a lot more practice on that.
I also started on some custom social media buttons for the site, so we’ll see how that goes.

(this was taken on my Nexus 5 Smartphone)

#369

These are the cards that I made today. I think some are missing a something, but I’m not sure what. Maybe just a small embellishment and some rhinestones or sequins.
I’m quite excited, as a friend invited me to a Christmas crafting session at a Church on Sunday afternoon. It only goes for two hours and she’s going to pick me up, so it won’t be too much for me. It’s not too big of a group, and they meet on Tuesdays normally. I forgot to ask where it is, in case I want to go to those by myself. I guess if I like it on Sunday, I can make plans then. It should be a great experience, and I can teach people things, which is always fun. I’ll probably end up taking a bunch of my favourite tools, as regardless of what I’m doing, I always want something from another room, and I won’t be in reach of my supplies.