May 20
2013

blooming goodness

i just wanted to say a quick “hiya”!
i’ve been spending quite a bit of time in the studio painting this past week.
it feels real good.

and p.s. i really want to make one of these tables!
or a pillow like this!

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Apr 13
2013

my art bag and it’s contents

i love creating art in different places; a friend’s house, an art retreat, etc.
the best way to be able do this i’ve found, is by having a designated art travel bag.

the local craft stores never seemed to have all that i was looking for.
so i ended up going to home depot/lowe’s (can’t remember which one) to find a tool bag.
it was hideous and very manly.
as curly girl designs says, “i am fairly certain given a cape & a nice tiara, i could save the world”-
for me it should read, “given paint and a paint brush i could change the world!”.

as you can see- over time a LOT OF paint has been added!

i also took a box cutter and removed some of the inside separators that I didn’t need and were just going to get in the way.

my friend Janne and i strongly believe that “arting” should be a word. right?!?!

i love all the outside pockets on this bag.

over the past few years i’ve worked it’s contents down to my personal arting essentials.

• hard and soft bristle brushes
• staedtler black fine tipped pens
• lyra 6b graphite pencil
• uniball signo white pen
• sharpie paint pens (just a few for fun)
• pencil
• eraser (staedtler)
• scissors
• E6000 glue
• golden gel medium
• golden paints(mostly liquid), liquitex paints(concentrated & heavy body) & blick artists acrylics(heavy body)
• blue shop paper towels- love these cause i can use them over & over again
• recycled lids for paint palettes
• washi tape
• art journal or project of the moment

and there you have it.
that’s what’s in my bag.
obviously, you could make a bag like this for all sorts of hobbies- scrap-booking, sewing, crocheting, beading etc.
do you have one? if so, how does it differ? what’s in your bag?

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Oct 31
2012

china & product development

my days here in china have been quickly passing by.
i had thought i’d have more time for blogging but i guess i was wrong.
or should i say, i’ve spent that time doing other things…
i’ll try to do some catch up here over the next few days.

a new allen designs piece in the works.
currently LOVING these colors.
i feel like i’ve spent a lot of time drinking tea.
which then in turn means many times to the beloved hard-to-pee-in-ceramic-hole-in-the-ground! oy!

remember this beautiful girl?
my, how she’s grown.

little resin foxes- will eventually be made in to pins.
they’d be cute as magnets…hmmm.
with all the stainless does anyone still buy magnets?

the hello sketch now a sculpt.

i have spent a little time in my art journal.
trying to get my painting groove back.
funny how it’s like running- you take time off and you lose fitness.
when you decide to start back up again it seems to require:

patience that you will probably have some bad runs
confidence that you will once again achieve fitness
perseverance/will power that will push you past the discomfort & frustration.

don’t you agree?
…or maybe it’s just me.

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Jul 31
2012

i almost feel famous!

funny that i’ve pretty much fallen off the face of the blogging world and i get featured in artful blogging.

i’ve loved this publication since it started and am crazy-excited & honored to appear in it’s delicious pages.

if you’ve never picked yourself up a copy… you must!
every issue is just jammed full of inspiration, from decorating to cooking to art.
pure loveliness.
xoxo-m

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May 30
2012

brushes & journal pages

since i’ve been home from china i’ve been trying desperately to live by more of a schedule.
the past year there’s been so much random stuff going on that i felt like i couldn’t make an agenda and expect to keep it.
i’ve fallen into the habit of ‘flying by the seat of my pants’ so to speak.

part of this new timeline i’m trying to keep is scheduling time everyday to MAKE ART!
it’s funny how hard that is to do.
even when it’s “my job”.