#399

Welcome to all my new followers! My partner and one of our friends double teamed a recruitment drive behind my back, so I have a whole pile of new audience members on Facebook and Twitter. Remember you guys can chat to me and ask me questions on any of these sites, and as long as my phone notifies me, I’ll be able to get back to you as soon as I can! Find me on Facebook at https://facebook.com/raspberrysheep6, and Twitter @raspberrysheep6.
Ok, as for the sketches, they are a couple of shirt ideas that I started on. The first is a heavy metal guitarist, as requested by my partner, as we are both heavy metal fans, so I began sketching him. While I was drawing, I was sent a video review about the cat bag with the bubble window in it. The cat in the video was so adorable and looked like it was in a spaceship, so I wanted to draw him in a spacesuit, and thought it’d make a good shirt, too. Hbed  is the video that inspired me.
My partner saw one of my posts, where I was complaining about wanting to get paid for art that people want me to do. He was adamant that commissions was the way to go, until I could find a way to explain that there is a lot of contact and communication needed when working out the brief for the pieces. I’m not quite ready for that kind of communication, but he really wanted to help me to get the ball rolling, so he’s decided to help me out with starting up shop, and motivating me with my art. This is keeping me quite positive at the moment, so we’ll see how we go.
For now, it’s bed time. Gnight.

#398

I’m not quite sure where this idea came from. That’s usually when I make the best things, and go into a slight creative trance, while watching TV shows.
I’ve also been doing some paper mache for a project for the cats, so I managed to half cover myself in gesso, which is always fun.
Just before bed, I printed out some T-shirt outlines to try and come up with some designs. I think my partner is getting tired of me talking about selling my art, and not actually doing it. I just wish there was a way I could do the art someone tells me, then they talk to people and sell things, then they give me some money… A bit like a job, really… But where I can be at home with minimal deadlines. Mmm.

#397

Rainbow mermaid!!!
Well… I didn’t quite get to the rainbow part, but I’m half way through.
I was inspired to drawing this when I saw an article tutorial for dragon scales. There was one that was probably meant for the large belly scales, that looked a bit like the tips of swords. Another tutorial had mermaids inspired by different types of fish. I decided to put these two ideas together to make this mermaid. While I was drawing, I hadn’t decided on what to do with the hair, and was thinking about it when I realised, hair would be really impractical underwater. This is probably why sea creatures aren’t fluffy. This led me to making a hair inspired fin. As well as her fin like arms, adding to the swimming aspect for the mermaid. I thought she might have arms under the fins, and have them like flaring sleeves.
I’ve always been a fan of mermaids, so I like drawing them regularly. I like this drawing, and I’ve scanned it so I can colour it in on the computer or print it to colour it in with various mediums.

#396

Because I’ve been doing so much drawing lately, this has led to eyestrain, resulting on today being the first day of being a glasses wearer. Luckily, they are only for reading, drawing and computing. Unfortunately, that’s 95% of my awake time. For the other 5%, I have now got my first pair of sunglasses.
I’m still getting used to them, and slowly training myself to not have panic attacks with things on my face, but they are purple and pretty. First step of acceptance, seems to be drawing a picture of myself in them. I took some nice photos at the busstop after picking them up, so I made a quick sketch, getting used to them on my face. My eyes got tired fairly quickly, but they do help, so I’ll try them a bit longer tomorrow.
I guess this isn’t much of an art post, but this is a big thing for me, and is kind of relevant. Besides, you get a rough idea what I look like, now, for those who don’t know me. Very rough….
Next on my list of crafts – a glasses string.

#395

This is what the box die turns out like. Very pretty, and would make a great gift box for small jewellery or a couple of chocolates or something. I think I’ve figured out how to make the larger one work, it just needs some surgery first. I have to finish this box off, yet with an embellishment and ribbon for a handle. I think I’ll be making a few of these to have on hand for future gift giving.

I also had a go at making myself an embossing folder for my big shot. It worked surprisingly well, considering last time I tried one, it failed completely. To make this, you die cut a pattern out of card from a food box, keeping all the pieces. Then, lining them up over another piece of card, you glue in the pieces in the slots, so they match up completely, taping the two rectangular pieces together so it hinges and lines up. Then you can use it as a regular embossing folder. You might have to play around with the shim plates and bulking with card to get the right amount of pressure through the machine, as this isn’t as thick as a regular embossing folder.
I’ll also have to try making my own embossing diffuser plates.

#394

Another present for me! I’m getting spoiled lately!
I saw this mega die set in a closing down sale last week, and despite its massive markdown, I had nowhere near enough money for it, so had no choice but to leave it, and hope that it hadn’t been sold for another week waiting till payday. Luckily, I have an awesome family, and they went back to the shop, early the next day, and bought it for me.
I can do so many things with this set, but what excited me the most is being able to make my own cardboard buttons, by layering three of the cutouts and gluing them together. I can then paint them, and use them as buttons for embellishments. There are a great range of flower dies, too, that can all layer together nicely. The only issue is that I may have to butcher the biggest die, so it will fit through my machine, as it wasn’t shown on the packet, so I didn’t know it was in there. We were a bit confused about what to do with the ‘thank’ die, as there is no ‘s’ on the end, or a ‘you’. I guess I could stamp that out or something.
This set has certainly inspired some ideas, between my drawings, for some upcoming cards and projects.

#393

Dot dot dot…
Lately, my art endeavours have taken me to a far land, where I spend my time between colouring and die cutting circles to draw on. My first intent was to make cardboard pendants for jewellery, but  it has developed into just drawing on a load of circles, without fear of messing up. If it looks good, I can use it, if it doesn’t look good, I learn and start in the next circle. There isn’t the worry of filling a whole page, and I can use these as stickers, colour then in or scan them. I’ve had a few really cute ones, and been a bit adventurous, trying out different styles.

This is how it started, wanting to make stickers, as I’d found a packet of sticker paper while looking for something to do. I really liked the results, and have just kept going.
At this rate, I’m going to run out of ink in my brand new markers I bought. At least I’m having fun!

#392

Lookie what I got as a pressie!!
My partner got me my second part of my Christmas present today and I’m so happy! His job recently moved him to an office five minutes from my favourite art store, so, he looked on my online wishlist, and got me exactly what I wanted in his lunch break 😀
Not only was it a wonderful surprise, these inktense pencils are lovely to work with. With vibrant colours, that you can water right down and layer nicely. Since they are ink, once you’ve wet them and let them dry, they don’t reactivate with water, so layering colours is a treat without worrying about lifting and muddying the colours. I must sound like an advertisement when I get excited about a product, but everything I say is my true opinion, and I’m certainly not getting paid to promote anything. I just love art and want to share and teach. I’ll tell you if I ever sell out, so you know.

#391

This evening, I was drawing things to do with summer as my prompt. I began with a little woman in a dress, who ended up looking a bit like me, so I had to draw my partner to match. It’s still a summer picture, as he is wearing shorts. I then ran out of ideas after an ice block. I was going to draw Christmas things, but I’m still avoiding anything festive, since the crazy card making bout of ’15.
The next page in my book is autumn. I can only think of leaves changing colour. Maybe I could add some bunnies for Easter, or make an autumn fairy.
I’ve also begun making a list of the drawing skills that I’d like to get better at. Things like painting fire, colouring metal and practising realism. I guess I can’t get better if I don’t know what I need to improve.