FINALLY! The weather has turned nice and I've packed everything into my nifty cute Amy Butler tote and moved out into the grass and warm spring sunlight. It was like a breath of fresh air; months and months of staying inside, of the cold and the snow and layers and layers of sweaters, I was finally able to throw on a tank top, grab my supplies, and get OUT!
The best part is that I can start using spray paint again. I tried it once over the winter and OH MY, I couldn't breathe in the studio for HOURS...I had to run away and wait for the smell to clear out. O.o I don't have a mask or area to really work with it indoors, so I've been using paint with my stencils. No more!
I have a roll of wallpaper I grabbed for $3 at Big Lots, and used that to protect the grass from the spray. I plan on using it for awhile, then cutting it up for scrap papers to use in my journal....except it rained today and I left it under the table! Oops! Good thing there's a whole roll of it!
But I DID find out many of my paints are "missing" in the garage. We've been collecting things to sell this summer in a mega we're-about-to-move garage sale, so there is just STUFF out there in piles, and I can't even BEGIN to start looking for stuff. I guess that means a trip to Wal-Mart is in order...I can't survive on just 3 colors (plus black and white)!
I also grabbed some doilies from Jo Anne Fabrics to use...it's AWESOME! The patterns are amazing. Next, I'm going to drop the $4 for a sheet of die cut scrapbooking paper I like -- that's what's up there in the picture. They're fun and cheap stencils in comparison to the larger ones you'll find at craft stores. There aren't many available just yet, but they're great for general backgrounds and layering.
{ Check out this post and this tutorial if you've never worked with spray paint in your journal. }
While out, I saw this little pad of thick, thick vellum for, like, $2, and thought, "Wow, that'd be great to use to practice drawing girls' faces." Because that's what I enjoy the most right now...drawing these faces. Yes, everyone's doing it, and I should do something original, but I LIKE doing this. I wire-bound it at the top and am practicing by drawing my co-workers during breaks. Hehe. I'm not all that good at drawing specific people...but that's what practice is for, right? Plus, the pad's a great mini-journal for when you don't want to carry a big bag around. Like on bright summer days!
I KNOW I owe y'all a video...it's on my laptop waiting to be edited. But my mouse has gone, so I'm turning my broken little laptop into a desktop so I CAN edit it. GRR!! I LOVE editing and really want to get this video out...I think you'll like it!