Felix

 First page in my new dylusion flip large size.

Found this little animation strip at a sale a few weeks ago. Isn't that Felix the cat? 

New dylusion flip journal

 Broke my new dylusion flip journal in tonight! Also inked my watercolor coleus and did a little cross hatching instead of cross hatching every inch! I over work every thing. This journal already makes me feel lighter and even though I have been doing art I have been doing more surfing on pinterest than drawing. Fuck that gets so old, searching for inspiration when really all you need to do is pick up a freaking paint brush or pen and go for it.

 I tried to improve on the things that made my last sketch seem so flat. I'm going to mask the bright green and stems this time hoping it will make the pink pop without causing a muddy mess.

 Organizing always inspires me and I didn't like my pencils in this marker storage. It works great for that so I put my pencils back in the Ivory Soap box. Hoping that having the markers on my desk will encourage me to use them instead of letting them dry out in the drawer. I had to recycle a bunch today that makes me feel horrible that I didn't use some of them and they are dry as a bone. It was also uncomfortable when my husband ended up transferring the recycle. (I really didn't want him to see my terrible secret.) He didn't say a word.

I can tell that the oxide inks are going to be my new favorite so set up a new drawer just for them with their matching distress ink. At least with them I can always re ink them if they dry out. I did not buy the re-inkers for the oxides but glad to know that they are available if I need them. The madness needs to stop somewhere.

Birthday haul part 2

 My husband took me to my favorite store today to spoil me a little more. So excited to have the new oxide inks from Tim Holtz Ranger. They are cool!

 I have been trying to resist the whole Big Shot Circuit Silhouette Cameo dye cut situation. It is getting harder and harder. I was old school coluzzle and fine with that but then I ran out of blades. They no longer make the blades for the coluzzle knife. Found out that the Xacto swivel knife blades fit my knife so ordered that knife too! Then saw these great templates and thought I was good until I tried it. The new knife doesn't work very well with the coluzzle templates and the blade is a little different for the old knife. The new templates are just wonky and wide . Dang. So plan on using the new templates for tracings and cutting the damn things out with scissors.

I really don't think I need to invest hundreds of dollars for all the shit to cut shapes for cards...I would love to have the big shot and a gazillion dyes but for now I'm holding OUT!

On the other hand I have no problem  investing in every color she had of the new oxide inks! SO COOL. I LOVE matt finish anything and these are really going to be fun.

I stocked up on the new dylusion journal in the flip form, bought another square because I loved working in that shape and a few other goodies Courtney always has in stock.

It seems excessive but when you consider that this stuff is pretty much my only expense. I indulge in art supplies and forgo all the trips my friend Susan thinks I should take. Trips are good but I like to spend my time doing art and sleeping in my own bed with my little Riki.

Okay, it is excessive but I love it and can't wait to do more art journaling. That is what has been missing in my life.

 
 I experimented with my new inks on a shape I had cut out with my new tools. Wonky as hell but LOVE the INK!

Coleus

I worked on this watercolor yesterday and when I was done I immediately cut it up because I had jacked up the center. No fixing that shit.

Spent the entire day looking at all my flower photos and every photo I have ever pinned or put on facebook for something new to try.  No luck finding anything so I will do this one again. Let us hope I don't go all "cross hatch" on the new one and it will turn out better.

So excited to try another one of my rapidograph pens with a very fine nib. Worked like magic! I feel like I hit the jackpot with that find. Set of seven pens for 12 bucks! They go for well over 100 bucks on Amazon.

Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones - Baby Please Don't Go - Live At Check...

Micky Jackson Pollock

Played around with alcohol inks and clear labels. There are some buttons die cut around the edge. Going to make a greeting card with it.

art supplies

I shopped my studio high and low for all these watercolor goodies! My husband said I was at "Micky's Michaels". The good thing about this stuff is most of it is artist quality at a cheap price. I pick up bags of paint and any art supply I see while junking. True that big palette is messy but it is Winsor and Newton. I had to slit the tubes and coax all that pigment out, it was messy but the colors are really nice. The brushes are sable and lucky for me I hadn't ruined them by using them with acrylic which is my usual medium. I have no excuses with my lame watercolors because I am now prepared to use the artist quality everything. They say that makes a big difference. I've been watching YouTube videos and trying to learn.

 Riki got bummed out when I stopped playing shortstop and started moving plants around and blogging my desk.

bleeding hearts watercolor practice

 https://micisip.blogspot.com/search?q=bleeding+hearts
Years ago I posted this photo hoping to paint it in water color some day. This is my third try and will do it again. I am overworking it. Fun practice but my paper towel ends up looking dreamy, just like I would like my painting.

On my desk

 Now that I have so much water color paper I have no excuse to not practice. The first was a quick sketch that I was not satisfied with so I used it to practice the watercolor. I'm not use to this medium so I'm sure it will be bad for a while. 

 That rapidograph pen is the greatest thing ever!!!

Micky Nuessen: bleeding hearts

Micky Nuessen: bleeding hearts

Real life

Just feel like I need to put a disclaimer on this blog. It is all flowers and fun here.  I don't share my pain and just work through it privately.

Life is not perfect and for sure can be full of pain, but it is also full of beautiful things.

So I paint a pretty picture here and try to count my blessings.

I have a hard time with social media because some seem to have the perfect life and then others are living through the most horrendous situations.

The most important thing to me is being an authentic person, hence the disclaimer. Just because I don't talk about it, doesn't mean all is as it should be. I am learning to live with the things I cannot change and relish the peace in this house.

With a few rants thrown in here and there...

Birthday Haul

 Got my refund for the pajama jeans so spent my birthday money on art supplies! So much more fun.

 Found the new goodies for such great prices at cargo largo. $2.00 for a tube of quin magenta golden paint! The watercolor pads were $14.99 a pad so my husband encouraged me to buy four! Must be my birthday! :)

 A great Cuban cigar box and some heavy plastic to make stencils. The only thing I got ripped off on was the scarves. I was so confused and thought the 100% pashmina tags were for real. Ha, (so naive) they were only $3.00 each, so I didn't get hurt and will use them for something!

 All that wonderful paper and look at the tiny moleskine I found for .50. I didn't even know it was a moleskine until I got home!

Hit some really good sales on Friday. Found an entire set of rapidograph pens for $14.00. They go for around $100.00 online! Paid more for the Leroy letter thingy but got a great deal on it also $35.00. Found one for $88.00 online. I got one of the rapidograph pens to work so spent hours in my 8x8 journal just doodling on past pages and I made this new page today.

I love collecting old paper art stuff. Someday I will have a space to set it all up together with the time machine and it will confuse everyone as to what the date is.

Pencil holder

Looked everywhere for something to keep all my pencils in with no luck,  then my husband had all his remotes in this, so I took it! Works perfect.

Color's on journal page inspired by a group on facebook that is giving free painting lessons. This was done in oil pastel.

Had a panic moment not being able to sign into google to access my blog which I have had for years. That would suck. Somehow my husband's google mailbox is now attached to my blog and if I delete it I will delete my blog. Nice.