These mini hama beads are really fiddly but it's so satisfying making the little picture bit by bit. These are badges and I put them in my etsy just as cheap little extras. I really want to just be making things all of the time and then have them for sale, I don't want to be really restrictive in "what I do". Maybe it's a huge mistake and I should be more worried about branding and making a specific set of stuff but I don't think I'd be happy like that. The pizza badge has already sold so at least these weren't a mistake to list :)
I actually managed to buy some new clothes!! You can see them in the video. I find clothes shopping so stressful it was nice to actually come away with something. I ran out of fabric medium at the start of the week (and then missed the post so I still don't have it...) so these shirts are waiting for the rest of their colours.
Norwich can be kinda pretty. I got a new tattoo! I filmed a little bit while I was there and tried to show it off in my vlog once I was home and sleep addled so that's a bit of a mess but the tattoo isn't. Will has a bunch of sketchbooks where he just draws out of his head with poscas and they're great. I asked him to do me a Bride of Frankenstein how he draws in those books and it turned out awesome.
This week was a super lame week. On Monday Snickers (our syrian hamster) died, he was old and he literally went to sleep in his nest and that was that. It doesn't stop it from being sad but of all the ways to lose a pet it was probably the best. He kind of prepared us for a few days and then just went, the whole while being fine in himself, just getting slower. Losing pets sucks. He was such a presence in the house and now he's not there anymore. When we got a hamster I thought, "yeah that'll be adorable" but I wasn't expecting him to have such a personality.
Fucking jerks lol, why'd they both have to die in the same half a year span?! Now we are pet-less and miserable about it.
So overall the week felt a bit slow and sad (still having little cries when I bump the table and go to apologise and realise he isn't there) but I did get started on some things. I started lining out the shirts I will actually be making available in my shop (rather than just keeping for myself lol) and I also started stretching my ears. Tiny tiny first stretch.
This one may have lost momentum slightly because of the sads but I'm really enjoying making my weekly vlogs lately ^_^
The start of the week I was out and about in the city which I posted here. The rest of the week was shrouded by hormonal brain and I didn't get as much done as I wanted to but I did do this little embroidery over a couple of afternoons.
It's all over the place, I know, that's actually intentional. I wasn't trying to make a good piece I was just experimenting. I have a go at embroidery every now and then and I make my patches which are quite simple for the most part but I still don't really have a lot of experience with it so I wanted to try a couple of things and just see what the results would be.
I used regular sewing thread rather than embroidery floss for the first time. I did the right side of the hair with embroidery floss at first to compare them but I unpicked that to try two types of stitching with the same thread. You can see in the photo above that it's shinier on the floss side which sometimes bothers me with embroidery floss but regular thread is so thin that I guess it's more work to fill an area and I found working that many stitches on this fabric was pulling the fabric too much, I can see where there are little "holes" that are just the fabric being pulled too tight in both directions. That could probably be solved with slightly heavier fabric though I guess? This fabric was too thin to hold so many stitches I think, it'd be better for simpler, mostly line work designs maybe.
I love the look of embroidery with my drawings though. I'm going to get some little hoops and make some pieces to hang on the wall. When I take my fabric out of the hoops it gets so wavy, another missing piece to my knowledge, am I being too critical and that is just how embroidery looks, is the fabric wrong, is how I do the stitches wrong, am I pulling the fabric too tight in the hoop, do you take it out of the hoop and re-stretch it somehow, some other thing I haven't thought of?? I think hanging work in the hoops looks cute though so there's no rush to figure it out at least.
In an attempt to clear my grumpy head I went for a quick stroll round the meadow which I haven't been too in ages. It was nice, I saw some cows and ate a blackberry ^_^
The Lord Mayor's Celebration was at the weekend which means a parade, street performers, food and fireworks. I generally avoid going out at the weekend but if I'll get to see a giant bear then I'll make an exception. (which is why I'll be at Pride later in the month haha)
Baba Yaga and her hut were out and about terrorising children. Look at how beautiful the hut is! And Baba Yaga herself was gliding around in her mortar, it was super cool.
Those samosa were the best samosas I have ever had and I've been thinking about them ever since mmm samosas.
I was pretty achy by this point because I am a weakling but we hung around to watch the fireworks because public displays of fireworks are magic. You're meant to stand round the other side of the castle but we go where there are fewer people, that's why it kind of looks like two separate displays, a short one and a tall one lol.
On Sunday we went to see the duck race. It turned out that the tide was going in one direction and the wind in the other and they kind of cancelled each other out so it wasn't so much a race as a float about but in the end a few ducks made a break for it and there was a winner. It was fun to watch, the ducks get dropped off the bridge to start the race which was what I was most excited to see (I tried to film it so it might be in my vlog at the end of the week).
Overall it did reinforce the fact that I like to avoid weekends, I definitely had to experience one too many dickhead lads, but I had a really good time. I'm glad to live somewhere that puts on something like this each year, it's a lot of fun ^_^
June zine done. A whole year of zines, DONE! I'm so proud of my 12, tiny, little baby zines ^_^
I added this marker drawing to my Redbubble and Society6. I actually took this straight from my sketchbook and just tidied it up a bit around the edges. I'm hoping to do this more often. I really like the look of drawings on paper scanned in for use on other things, scanning things well can be a bit tricky though and obviously if I wasn't intending to use it when I drew it it might not be usable but I like how this one turned out ^_^
I do really like digital colouring too, I want to do all the things!
I went into the city to post orders and came home with lots of nice things. I fucking love libraries. Also love cheap stickers.
I bought these key ring blanks ages ago not really sure if people would actually want one or not but I made one for myself and I really like seeing it on my keys so I found some glitter paper and they're in my shop now whether people want them or not lol. I think it's a pretty cool idea to have an original drawing on your keys though.
I spent the second half of the week hunched over my desk painting shirts. These are for me because it took me three shirts (one older one not pictured) to realise I really do need to use textile medium to make the acrylic not crack. That's why we test things though, plus I'll wear them anyway. I found some old medium though and have added it to the hearts on the girls shirt so at least I can test that too and then hopefully get some shirts actually done for the shop! It's a slow process painting on fabric with a brush but I really love it.
I'm so lucky to have a garden, it's so nice to sit outside (♡˙︶˙♡)
I've been trying my hand at making videos for a while now and I think this might be the first one that I think turned out alright/am not totally embarrassed to have people watch lol. I really want a video editor that would let me add stills/video on top of/next to each other and play with the brightness/contrast/colours etc but I'm doing what I can with what I've got. It's probably too long for other people to enjoy (I quite like a long vlog but I work from home so have time to watch them at my desk...) but I like this vlog I made ^_^
Last week I didn't do a weekly vlog. I did a 'video an hour' video on the Friday but had also filmed some bits on the Thursday so I gave them a video of their own too.
Thursday 29th June
I remember feeling really, really down on Thursday, especially at the end of the day (after I filmed these bits). I think it was a long time coming, a lot of bad thoughts built up and peaked, like a thunderstorm after humid weather. But this week I've been feeling really motivated. I'm fed up of not seeing myself in a good light and I'm working to rectify that. More structure, more belief in myself as a professional artist (/designer/crafter/handmade maker person, I still haven't figured out my job title lol).
Friday 30th June
I also recently came across furrylittlepeach's studio vlogs on youtube and they made me feel pretty inspired. I guess it's similar to how some people need to share a studio with other people to feel motivated and like they're 'at work', I enjoy watching videos by art folks while I work (or even while I'm not working, the good feelings carry over) even though I wouldn't be able to work with loads of people actually in the room.
I find it pretty impossible to come across new channels I want to watch through youtube though (e.g. I watched 1 min of that 20 min video why are you now only recommending that person's videos!!) (I know it's because of greedy google and their need for ad revenue but come on!) so if you know of any arty people that vlog I'd love to know about them. I find they don't even have to make work that is to my taste but if they come across as hard working and friendly and make things then it's good watching.
And seeing as I'm asking for recommendations.... Audra Auclair is great. Her work is beautiful but I really love how while talking about art things she also talks about other things she cares about. For example I found it refreshing to hear someone mention being uneasy about the amount plastic they were having to use in pen refills even though it might be an art material you really love. (Why don't more people care about how evil plastic is!!!!, but that's a different rant lol) Frannerd. Oh Fran, how I love thee. She comes across as such a friendly person, I love her work and she's so willing to share information that traditionally people think you should keep to yourself. Let's just all share everything and be helpful to each other yeah? Furrylittlepeach. As I already mentioned, Sha'an's vlogs got me feeling super motivated this past week. Nerdburger isn't an art channel but it's still all about things I love and I also love Cazz so much. Her joy for all things comics, toys, horror films, colour and outdated tech is contagious. I mean I'm already highly infected with a love for all of those things but oh my gosh Cazz, I love her. Her and Liam are a pair of real good eggs. The Sad Ghost Club. I really enjoyed having their sketchbook club videos on while I worked in my sketchbook, it's so weird that having a video on can make you feel less lonely at your desk. I hope they do more of them.
Please share any arty types you watch on youtube! I don't care if they have a huge following or a small following, if they can help inspire me to stay as upbeat about work as I have this week then I'll drink them right up ^_^
