Hello, friends! Here is a little bit about life around here right now: What are you working on? The 100 Day Project begins on February 13. I've been on and off the fence about doing it. On the one hand, it's always a great way to push myself. On the other hand, with a small unvaccinated human and this stupid pandemic, I'm close to losing my marbles, and I just don't know if adding another thing to my to-do list is a good idea. While I mull it over for the next week or two, some topics I've considered are:... Read more →

Today is my birthday! I'm just a little bit older than I was in this birthday photo. (And 5-6 years older than my Mom was in this photo!) And now I must confess an awful truth: I don't really like cake. I like the look of a cake and I love the look of a cupcake. But I'd much rather simply eat ice cream or a cookie and call it a day. Nevertheless, like I said, I do like the look of cupcakes and there's a certain two-year-old living in my house who can demolish a cupcake in no time... Read more →

A lovely artist named Froyle Davis shared several easy and fabulous techniques for making collage papers in this video, along with a look at her collage process in her art journal: She used my Messy Writing Stencil (buy 12x12 and/or 6x6) and I love the results! I used some of her techniques (and that fabulous stencil, of course) to make these papers: This was really fun! I started with brightly colored papers and that made my finished papers look very different from Froyle's, even though I used her copper/black color scheme for the gelatin printing. And then I had some... Read more →

I recently finished a series of three 5x7 mixed media collages. (You can grab one in my shop, if you're interested.) You can watch this overview video to see them come together: As I mention in the video, I started them for January's Book Club. This is what they looked like at the time of the Book Club recording: And here they are now: A few tips to take with you: Don't be afraid to cover things up. The layers and the texture are still there -- just in a more subtle way. Learn what things make your artwork "feel... Read more →

Believe it or not, it turns out that I make more things than I can share here on the blog! It's crazy, but true. I make A LOT of stuff. And I've got the messy desk to prove it! So here are a few things I've made recently and haven't had time to share with you! I made this mug for my Mom! I used some food-safe markers I had sitting around from a project I did back in 2015. They're food-safe, dishwasher-safe, and microwave-safe. I don't think they're made anymore, but the Pebeo ones have been around for years... Read more →

Back in May, I bought myself a one year subscription to Scrawlr Box - a subscription art supply box from the UK. Each month I share the contents of the box and my first reaction to them. This month was a particularly fine box because (a) I loved everything in the box and, (b) because of the supplies in the box, I was pushed to do some things I don't normally do! For me, that's 100% what I want out of my art supply subscription. BOX CONTENTS: Spectrum Noir Metallic Paint Markers POSCA 3M Black Marker Gelly Roll Moonlight Derwent... Read more →

It was another great year of daily carving and printing! Here are all the stamps I carved in December: Wow! The thing about #CarveDecember that shocks me every year is that it actually happens. I know that sounds silly, but December is a crazy month and I can never believe how totally productive I am during such a crazy month. It always sends me into the new year with great creative energy. Now that I've had a few weeks to process everything, here are a few thoughts about this year's #CarveDecember: I learned so much from the guest teachers during... Read more →

Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make a big difference. My washi tape storage method is one of those simple happy things. Watch this short video all about it: Like I said in the video, this is a system I've been using for years and it works really well. I hope you'll give it a try! If you're looking for some washi tape inspiration, check out these blog posts from the archives: Make Your Own Washi Tape - first shared in 2010 and re-blogged in 2015. And now again in 2022. (Probably time to write an updated tutorial,... Read more →

I have been a busy bee these past few months and have not always been great about sharing everything I make. How about a little bit of show-and-tell today? Here are a few recent projects from ScanNCut Club: a vase that holds water, made from either paper or cork fabric 3 different styles of package toppers embossed Valentine (that's paper, not metal btw) Domed Paper Luminary Infusible Ink (i.e. sublimation) how to One of my favorite things that has happened because of ScanNCut Club is that I have been forced out of my comfort zone. I usually make tutorials of... Read more →

This month's Book Club selection was a suggestion by a viewer: Abstracts in Acrylic & Ink by Jodi Ohl. And, as it turned out, I already owned the book but had never even opened it. This is the exact reason why I started Book Club. I'm tired of collecting books. I want to actually use them! Jodi was a guest on the Adventures in Arting Podcast back in 2015. She's super talented and I really love her work. During Book Club I chat a bit about why this book wasn't a great fit for me and how I learn, but... Read more →