Around Here: April 2022

Hey friends!  I'm changing up the format of these monthly "around here" posts.  I hope you enjoy it!

What's happening at home?

You know what they say, self care every day keeps the doctor away!

Funnily enough, the blackhead masks were my little guy's idea.  He picked up the tube and asked what it was and then wanted to try it.  After he and I had applied our masks, he naturally wanted to share with Daddy too.  So now we all have great looking noses!    

What's on your desk right now?

I don't keep a neat desk, that's for sure.

Here's the basic list of items of interest:

• Glue in a Fine Line Bottle: This is one of my favorite new tools. I buy the bottles empty and fill them with my glue of choice.
• Teflon Mat
• Box of Deli Paper
• Reverse Grip Tweezers: Ideal for small pieces of collage paper and other tiny tasks.
• Paper Stencil: 95% of the stencils I cut are cut from paper.
• Collage Papers: Many of these are from this month's Book Club.
• Studio Notebook: Also known as a sketchbook.
• Baby Wipes
• Inktense Blocks
• My Favorite Scissors
• Paint Swatches
• Heat Gun
• Member Livestream Cheat Sheet: Each month before the livestream, I print out all the questions and write myself some notes about the answers to each of the questions.  I often jot down supplies I need for demos and other pertinent information.
• Baren
• Catalyst Wedge: I've had this wedge tool in my stash for ages, but I pulled it out a week or two ago and it's now my favorite tool. 
• Most Used Tools: I keep all of my most used tools on my desk -- some in a tower and others in a shoebox. This way, they're at my fingertips!
• Dirty Paint Water: I am terrible about cleaning out my paint water.  Sigh.  I almost always have dirty paint water sitting on my desk!

Your most recent Pin on Pinterest?

I saved this floating collage...

...to my "Abstract" pinboard.  I really like the idea of a collage that floats and has irregular edges -- un-contained by tidy edges.  Don't you?

A recommendation?

As you may have noticed, I haven't been podcasting lately.  But actually, I have been!  I do a twice monthly cheese-related podcast with my friend Jenn Mason.

It's called "Curdcast" and we eat our way through a subscription box of cheese & pairings.  Jenn brings her cheese knowledge and talks about how the cheese is made and what gives it its particular flavors. I bring ignorance and enthusiasm to the process.  It's a good time.  You can listen here and watch the video version here.

So, that's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you're a Monthly Member, the March personal and studio vlogs are up in the classroom. 

What's the difference between a personal vlog and a studio vlog? 

• Personal vlogs have a lot of daily life stuff (lots of baby) and a bit of random art content.  They're pretty much like the old weekly vlogs you can still see on my YouTube channel. All Members have access to personal vlogs.  
• Studio vlogs are art focused on a single art project or art-related topic.  Past studio vlogs include: behind-the-scenes of putting together an online class, a studio tour, a peek into my sketchbook, a look at a day in the studio, etc.  Maker Members & Super Learner Members have access to the studio vlogs.

Thanks for stopping by! 

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P.S. In case you don't know, I send out a weekly newsletter on Fridays.  You can subscribe HERE.