Something creative that ISN'T mail!

Here's an ATC (artist trading card) I made yesterday... it's a car.

(I specified that because I can't remember what kind of car it is.  Old.  I don't know.)

Pretty simple supplies: a piece of Canson artist paper, a 0.05 Copic liner pen, and three colours of Inktense pencil.  

In hindsight, I should have used a heavier paper because the water did make it buckle a little.  But eh, learning experience.  

First I sketched it out lightly in pencil; then drew it out a little better with the liner pen.  I was working from a photo in a book.

Then I started adding layers of Inktense.  I love these pencils because they behave like watercolour pencils... until they dry.  Then the colour becomes permanent.  So you can layer over it and it doesn't move!  <>  I probably came back to it ten times over the course of the afternoon, waiting for it to dry, then adding more layers.  In between I was baking sugar cookies, so all in all, a pretty pleasant day.

I'm pretty happy with the finished product.  It looks REALLY good if you take a super-quick glance, and don't start at it too long and start to notice flaws.

Okay, that's all I've got for now.  Back later.

Love Shelley!

Sunday Mail!

Nah, we don't really get mail on Sundays.  Wouldn't that be AWESOME though?!

But.  Of course you can still send mail.  All you need is to know where a handy mailbox is; and have some free time to make something.  And some extra-loud music to drown out any fighting kids who may be nearby trying to drive you bonkers by fighting non-stop and calling each other names and wanting you to referee.*

Anyway, in the urgency to escape the madness in the kitchen, I suddenly remembered that you don't have to actually use REAL ENVELOPES to send mail - you can make a mail-containing-thing out of whatever you want.  Just tape it up good** so those little holes don't get stuck in one of the mail-sorting machines, and bob's your uncle***.

I have to go now.  There's a massive mess in the garage from the honey extraction we started yesterday.  And the bees found us, so there are about 800 of them buzzing around in the driveway, and they're frankly still kind of pissed that we robbed them yesterday.  So if you know a way to politely escort them back to their hive, I'd be happy to hear it.  My plan right now is to wait until they all go home at dark, then bring the empty frames back for them to clean up.  And I'll put up a 'No Loitering' sign in the driveway too.  That should fix the problem.

Ok bye.

Love Shelley!

____________________________________________________________________
*Your experience may vary.
**Yes, I know.
***No, I don't know what this means, either.  But I can't ALWAYS yell "ta-daaaah!"

Fancy Nancy

This afternoon I got pretty sick of working, so I busted out the el cheapo pencil crayons at my desk, and what do you know - my muse decided to join me for a few minutes!  It probably helps that I'm deliriously tired and my guard is way down.  She's sneaky; she likes to wait until I've given up on her, then she blows back into my life like a bad boyfriend fresh out of jail.  That's probably the worst metaphor I've used yet on this blog, too, so you're welcome for that.

I have a second one in the works - completely different, yet exactly the same.  (Don't ask, I'm even confusing myself right now.)

Stay tuned.

Love Shelley!